Baseball Sets New Single-Season Wins Mark Defeating FDU-Florham

MADISON, N.J. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team used a four-run second inning to take a 5-2 lead and held on to defeat Fairleigh Dickinson University at Florham, 8-6, on Thursday afternoon.

The Bears (21-8) set a new program record with 21 wins, just three days removed from reaching the 20-win mark for the second straight season. St. Joseph's also extends their program-longest win streak to 10 games, undefeated since April 9th.

St. Joseph's drew first blood with a Joe Mendez (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) sacrifice fly in the first, but the Devils (17-12) used a Bears miscue in the bottom half of the frame to take a 2-1 edge.

The Bears were the beneficiary of six walks and a hit batter to manufacture four runs without a single hit in the second. Michael Camerada (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) and Mike Cundari (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) each had successful steals of home plate during double steal attempts with runners at the corners.

The Bears took a 7-3 lead after four when Chris Cutrone (Levittown, N.Y./Island Trees) led off the inning with a triple and scored on a Nicholas LoPrinzi (Howard Beach, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) single starting a two-run frame with Michael Camerada later knocking a single up the middle that scored his brother, Domenick Camerada (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell).

FDU-Florham cut the deficit in half in the fifth plating two runs, but wouldn't get any closer. Mendez helped tack on an insurance run in the ninth with a single to left field that capped a 2-for-4, two RBI day at the dish.

The top of the Devils lineup threatened in their final at bat Frankie Tassielli leading off the inning with the home run. After a Brendan Adams single brought the tying run to the plate with only one out, Brian Luebcke (Astoria, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) closed out the game striking out the Devils' cleanup hitter and a grounder to second.

Luebcke pitched 7 1/3 innings in relief to improve to 3-1 on the hill this season, striking out five and allowing three runs on 10 hits.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Other Contributors: Chris Cutrone (1-for-2, 4 BB, 3B, R), Mike Cundari (2-for-4, R, 2 SB, 2 BB), Michael Camerada (2-for-4, RBI, R, BB, 2 SB), Nicholas LoPrinzi (1-for-5, RBI, BB), Anthony DeFillippo (RBI, R)
• The Bears drew a team-record 14 walks in the contest.
• St. Joseph's threatened for more runs, but stranded 16 runners on base, while FDU-Florham left only eight on. The Bears had runners in scoring position in every inning except the eighth.

THE BEAR FACTS

• Luebcke's 7 1/3 outing was the longest of his career, all six appearances coming this season.
• Cutrone matched Cundari's record of 27 games reaching base safely.
• LoPrinzi extended his hitting streak to eight games, which is the longest active streak as Thomas McKenna had his seven game streak snapped.
• Mendez moved into a tie with Kevin Diaz '13 for a share of the all-time record with 463 career at-bats.

NEXT UP FOR THE BEARS – YESHIVA

St. Joseph's has a quick turnaround returning to the Garden State to face Yeshiva University tomorrow for a doubleheader starting at 10 a.m. at Overpeck Park.