Bears Baseball Strikes Down Lehman, Improves to 13-2

BRONX, N.Y. – Powered by a complete game from Matt Brigando (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund Prep) in his first start of the season and a home run by Joe Mendez (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell), the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team captured a, 6-3, victory over Lehman College on Monday night at South Field.

The Bears (13-2) have assembled a two-game winning streak and have won five of their last six while the Lightning (6-8) have lost seven of their last ten after beginning the season 3-1.

St. Joseph's got on the board early scoring a run in the top of the first before putting a two spot up in the second giving the Bears an early 3-0 lead after two. Lehman would get on the board with a single run in the fourth and eighth innings making it a contested 3-2 ballgame heading into the ninth. St. Joseph's scored three insurance runs in the ninth giving them a 6-2 lead they would not relinquish.

Brigando (2-0) notched his second win on the mound this season coming in his first start of the year. The sophomore allowed six hits and two earned runs while fanning five. Brigando threw three hitless innings before being touched up for a single to lead off the fourth.

Mendez finished the day batting 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI. Thomas McKenna (Bellerose, NY/St. Francis Prep) went 2-for-4 with two doubles at the plate producing a run while also driving in a run. Vinny Rossi (Bayside, NY/Holy Cross) concluded the evening going 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

TURNING POINT

St. Joseph's had a 3-0 lead after three and Brigando was dealing allowing only one baserunner to reach base safely. Lehman responded in the bottom half of the fourth with a run making the score 3-1. A pitchers' duel broke out with neither team scoring a run until the Lightning struck with a run in the eighth to close the gap to 3-2 going into the ninth.

The Bears led off the ninth with the heart of their lineup up to bat and followed with three straight hits to begin the inning including a leadoff home run by Mendez which proved to be the game-winning run. St. Joseph's ended the inning sending seven batters to the plate with three of them scoring to tack on insurance runs for Brigando who would finish the ninth to seal the victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Danny Zaretsky went 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI.
• The Bears finished 9-for-17 (.529) when having the opportunity to advance a runner.

NEWS AND NOTES

• Kevin Diaz has reached base safely in 11 straight games and is now tied with Jon Mendez as the all-time career RBI leaders (83).
• McKenna has a team-high seven game hitting streak.
• St. Joseph's improves to 5-4 all-time against Lehman having taken both meetings so far this season.
• Mendez's home run is the sixth of his career and the first since April 5th of last season against Baruch.
• Brigando made his first start on the mound since April 7th of last season versus SUNY Canton.

UP NEXT FOR THE BEARS

The Bears return home as they take on NYU-Poly tomorrow at Padavan-Preller Field with first pitch set for 4 p.m.