Cutrone Throws Eight Strong, Bears Split with Maritime

THROGGS NECKS, NY – St. Joseph's freshman Chris Cutrone (Levittown, NY/Island Trees HS) went eight of the first ten innings in game one of the Bears' doubleheader with Maritime in just his second career start.  Though he didn't pick up the win, Cutrone's performance kept the Bears in the game long enough, to take the front end in extra innings 3-2 in ten innings.

Both Cutrone and Maritime starter Christopher Myers were on top of their games from the outset.  Cutrone held the Privateers were hitless through the first three innings, before Jonathan Proscia doubled to lead off the fourth.  After retiring the next two hitters, the Bears coughed up an unearned run that allowed Proscia to score the games' first run.    

Myers cruised through the next two innings, allowing just one base-runner, but Cutrone kept St. Joseph's down a single run matching Myers stride for stride. 

St. Joseph's had one final opportunity to tie or take the lead in the top of the seventh inning and made it count.  Jeff Bonowicz (Whitestone, NY/Holy Cross) led the inning off with a double to left center and Vinny Rossi (Bayside, NY/Holy Cross) drove him in with a single to right to tie the game.  The Bears had an opportunity to plate the go-ahead run, by Myers induced an inning-ending double play to keep the score knotted at one apiece.

Cutrone did more than just dominate on the mound, at the plate he reached base three times with two singles and walk and stole two bases.  In the top of the eighth, he led off with a walk and came around to score on a fielder's choice from Rob Mongiori (Jackson Heights, NY/Monsignor McClancy) to give the Bears their first lead of the game.

The lead was short lived however, as the Privateers scored their second unearned run of the game to extend the game.  Cutrone's final line was eight innings, two runs, zero earned runs, two hits and eight strikeouts.

After both teams went scoreless in the ninth, the Bears scratched another run across in the 10^th to regain the lead.  Mongiori doubled home Mike Cundari (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) after Cundari reached on the fifth Privateers error of the game.

Working in his second inning, Chris Vargas (Brooklyn, NY/Nazareth Regional) picked up his first win of the season after keeping Maritime off the board. 

The two hits allowed by Cutrone are the fewest since Chris Davidson and Keith Juricich allowed two hits in 2010.

St. Joseph's picked right back up in game two scoring four runs in the opening frame.  Mongiori kicked the scoring off with a two-RBI double to right center, followed by a Bonowicz sacrifice fly and a Rossi RBI double to stake the Bears out to a 4-0 lead before the Privateers even came to bat.  With the first inning double, Rossi now has picked up at least one hit in seven of his last eight games.

Maritime was able to crack into the lead with a bases-loaded single from Joey Semler to cut the lead in half.  The Bears were able to escape further damage when pitcher Matt Brigando (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep) started a 1-2-3 double play and induced a fly ball to end the inning on top 4-2.

The Bears took those two runs right back in the top half of the second inning when a Cundari single scored Joseph Boccia (Westwood, NY/Westwood) and Thomas McKenna (Bellerose, NY/St. Francis Prep)scored on an error, his second run in as many innings. 

Maritime starter Nicholas Sarna settled in after the rocky start to allow just three hits and zero runs to cross after the second inning. The Privateers chipped away at the lead scoring in four straight innings to eventually take the lead.  Trailing 6-5, Maritime scored two two-out runs in the fifth to take their first lead of the game 7-6.  Patrick Kirk singled home a run for his third hit of the game to extend the Privateers lead to two and Sarna closed out the seventh to take game two 8-6.

Joseph Longo also had three hits and Semler picked up three RBI to lead the Privateers. 

Starting in the outfield for the first time in his career, Boccia had four put outs and one assist in centerfield over the doubleheader.  He also reached base four times, scored a run and stole two bases. Joseph Mendez (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) collected two hits in each game and is hitting .395 this season with a team high 15 hits. 

The Bears will celebrate their season opener on Saturday March 17^th against SUNYIT.  St. Joseph's will open its home schedule at Padavan-Preller Fields in Bellerose, NY with a doubleheader starting at 2:00 pm.