Bears Resume Schedule, Drop Doubleheader to Maritime

THROGGS NECK, NY – After a three week break since opening their 2011 schedule in Myrtle Beach, SC, the St. Joseph's College men's baseball team returned to action dropping a doubleheader to Maritime, 6-1 and 1-0, on Sunday afternoon at Reinhart Field. Maritime improves to 4-1 while St. Joseph's falls to 0-6 on the young season.

The Bears bats were silenced for most of the day by strong performances on the mound by Maritime starters, Kurt Neimeyer in game one and Ryan Simpson in game two, both earning wins with one hit outings. Neimeyer struck out 10 in six innings of work.

In the opener, the Privateers broke the game open with a four run third inning, reaching starter Donny Pagano (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) for four hits and the Bears lone error of the game accounting for two unearned runs. Pagano went the distance suffering his second loss of the season, allowing six runs, 10 hits and striking out five.

St. Joseph's threatened in the fourth inning, loading the bases with a single by Kevin Diaz (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell), the only hit off Neimeyer, and back-to-back walks by Jon Mendez (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) and Mike Cundari (Staten Island, NY/St. Peters) but Neimeyer's eighth strikeout of the game dismissed the threat.

The Bears plated their lone run in the 7th inning off with started by a leadoff single by Mendez off reliever Jonathan Proscia later scoring on a two-out single by Joseph Boccia (Westwood, NJ/Westwood).

Game two was a pitcher's duel, with the lone run coming off Bears' starter Kevin Hernandez (Corona, NY/Newtown) on a two-out wild pitch in the first inning. Despite taking the loss, the senior tossed the best outing of his career, going the distance, allowing only three hits, two walks with three strikeouts.

In the third inning, the defense helped out Hernandez with centerfielder Diaz gunning out Ed Martinez at the plate to keep it a one run game.

St. Joseph's managed to advance runners to third after doubles by Danny Zaretsky (Brooklyn, NY/Lincoln) and Diaz in the fourth and sixth innings, but the Bears couldn't bring home the tying run.

The Bears return to the diamond seeking their first win of the season on Friday, March 18th travelling to the Bronx for a road twinbill against Lehman College. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.