Offense Explodes in Rout of Drew

MADISON, NJ – Playing Drew University for the second time in seven days, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team avenged a 14-10 defeat suffered last week with a 23-5 blowout of the Rangers.  The 23 runs scored are the second most in team history and the 27 hits are a club best.  Every starter recorded at least one hit and scored a run while six starters had multiple hits, runs and RBI as the Bears improve to 12-14.

The fireworks were early and often for the Bears as they scored a run in seven of the nine innings played.  Between the two games, St. Joseph's scored at least one run in 14 out of 18 innings.  Thomas McKenna (Bellerose, NY/St. Francis Prep) got things started with a leadoff single in his first at bat, his first of five hits on the day.  He would score the game's first run on a passed ball.  The Bears added three more runs before the first ended on RBI hits from Vinny Rossi (Bayside, NY/Holy Cross) and Chris Cutrone (Levittown, NY/Island Trees HS).

The Rangers got one run back on a two-out solo home run from Tom Murray in the bottom half of the inning to bring the score to 4-1. 

St. Joseph's distanced themselves scoring seven runs in the second inning to jump on top 11-1.  Joseph Boccia (Westwood, NJ/Westwood) led the inning off with his fifth career triple and first since 2009.  The Bears took advantage of some Ranger miscues, scoring a run on a balk and another on an error.  Rob Mongiori (Jackson Heights, NY/Monsignor McClancy) picked up two of his three RBI with a two-out single and Boccia followed with his second hit of the inning to drive in Mongiori with the seventh run of the inning.

Bears' starter Donny Pagano (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) had all the support he needed as he earned his second win in as many starts to improve to 3-5 on the season.  The righty pitched his second consecutive complete game allowing five earned runs on 11 hits while striking out five.  Pagano allowed four runs in the first three innings, but settled down allowing just one more the rest of the way. 

The Bears added five more runs in the fifth on two big hits.  With the bases loaded, Cutrone singled through the right side to score two runs.  Two batters later, McKenna crushed his second home run of the season, picking up three of his game-high four RBI.  With his five-hits, McKenna becomes the first Bear to ever have two games with five or more hits in a single season. 

Cutrone reached base six times with four hits and two walks.  He also scored three runs, drove in three and stole a base.  Rossi scored a game-high four runs, collecting two doubles and driving in a run.  Steven Ellis (Broad Channel, NY/St. Francis Prep), Joe Mendez (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell), Mike Cundari (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's), Mongiori and Boccia all had three hits.  Mongiori and Cundari both had three RBI as well.  Boccia extends his career-best hitting streak to ten games. 

St. Joseph's returns home to MCU Park on Thursday for a nine-inning game against Lehman.  First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 pm.