Bears Earn Split With Emerson, Nearly Rally for Sweep

FLEMINGTON, NJ – The St. Joseph's College baseball team split a doubleheader with Emerson College on Saturday afternoon at the Diamond Nation Baseball Complex.  The Bears exploded for 19 runs and 14 hits for a commanding 19-4 victory in the nightcap after stranding the bases loaded in the final inning falling 6-4 in the opener.

Senior Chris Davidson (San Carlos, CA/Carlmont) powered the Bears in the victory going 4-for-4 with nine RBI including a grand slam, and two runs scored.  Davidson also earned the victory on the mound tossing five innings and giving up four runs (three earned).

Kevin Diaz (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) jacked three-run homers in each game and finished the series going 4-for-7 with eight RBI and two runs scored.

Jon Mendez (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) went 4-for-6 with four runs scored, one batted in and a double and a triple.

Keith Juricich (San Mateo, CA/Serra) pitched five scoreless innings in relief in each game, striking out two and allowing only two hits.  At the plate, he went 2-for-4, scoring three times.

Joe Geloso (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) had three hits with scoring twice and driving in one.  Joseph Boccia (Westwood, NJ/Westwood) and Anthony Langone (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) each scored four runs with Langone also knocking a three-run homer in game two.

Davidson and Geloso are the only Bears to garner hits in all five games this season.

St. Joseph's returns to action on Sunday, March 21 travelling to Jersey City to face New Jersey City University in a non-conference twin-bill starting at noon.

Game 1 – Emerson 6, St. Joseph's 4

St. Joseph's struck first with a Diaz three-run home run in the bottom of the second. 

The Lions reached starting pitcher Danny Contant (Staten Island, NY/Xaverian) for three hits in the third, picking up two runs to cut the deficit to 3-2.  In the top of the fourth, Emerson grabbed the lead plating four runs on three hits with the assistance of a Bears miscue.

St. Joseph's threatened in the bottom half of the fourth, loading the bases with no outs, but only managed to get one run back while grounding into a double play to end the threat.

Juricich came in to relieve Contant in the fifth and faced runners on second and third after an error, but calmly worked out of the jam forcing two ground outs.  Juricich then retired the side in order in the sixth and seventh to keep St. Joseph's down two headed to the final inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, St. Joseph's strung together a late rally against starter Ben McNamara.  With a runner on first and two outs, Mendez was hit by a pitch and Davidson singled through the left side to load the bases, bringing up Joe Harten (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic), who delivered a walk-off home run in St. Joseph's last game.  However, Harten was unable to complete another Bears comeback flying out to center.

McNamara earned the win on the mound giving up four runs and striking out four.  Contant received the loss giving up five earned runs in four innings of work.

Game 2 – St. Joseph's 19, Emerson 4

Emerson carried the momentum of their game one win, jumping on starter Davidson in the first, picking up two quick runs on three hits.  Davidson minimized the damage, pitching out of a bases loaded jam.  In the bottom half of the frame, starter Zach Levine experienced control issues walking the bases loaded and Davidson punished him and helped his own cause, blasting a grand slam.

In second, Davidson held the Lions scoreless but worked out of another bases loaded jam after issuing two walks.  St. Joseph's padded their lead plating another three runs with Davidson driving in two more runs with a single.

After the Lions picked up a run in the fourth, St. Joseph's put up another four spot, with Davidson and Diaz each knocking two-run singles.  Levine was knocked out of the game after issuing seven free passes, of which five scored, but the Emerson relief struggled to find any answers with four pitchers combining to finish the final three innings, giving up nine runs.

Diaz and Langone each hit three-run bombs in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively.

Juricich relieved Davidson in the sixth and surrendered a triple and walk to his first two batters, but shut down the Lions for the final two innings.