Strong Late Innings Lifts Baseball Past John Jay and Back to .500

NEW YORK — Senior Sean O'Melia (Woodside, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy) tossed 7.2 strong innings and the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team rang out 12 hits led by Brian Luebcke's (Astoria, N.Y./Monsignor McClancy)'s three-hit day as the Bears outscored John Jay College 7-1 over the final four innings to take a 9-4 non-conference road victory on Wednesday afternoon at Randall's Island.

The Basics

• Final Score: St. Joseph's 9, John Jay 4
• Records: St. Joseph's (15-15), John Jay (9-22)
• Date: April 20, 2016
• Location: New York, N.Y.
• Field: Randall's Island
• SJC Starters: Pasetti (LF), Rapp (SS), Luebcke (3B), Condon (DH), LoPrinzi (C), Pallatto (1B), Arroyo (RF), McGreevy (2B), M. Camerada (CF), O'Melia (P)

How it Happened

• The Bears loaded the bases in second and pushed across a solo run on a McGreevy grounder and jumped ahead 2-0 in the third with a solo run benefitting from two John Jay errors.
• John Jay scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take their first lead of the contest, highlighted by Charlee Rodriguez two-run triple.
• St. Joseph's took the lead for good with a three-run sixth also taking advantage of another two Bloodhound miscues, including one to start the frame. Thomas Pallatto starting the scoring with a single two batters in to tie the game and Connor Pasetti later delivered the go-ahead runs with a two-out, two-run single.
• Rodriguez cut the John Jay deficit to 5-4 with an RBI single in the home half of the inning, but the Bears got it right back in the top of the seventh with a sacrifice fly that scored Brian Luebcke who led off the inning with a triple.
• The Bears tacked on three insurance runs in the ninth with the Bloodhounds committing a pair of errors for the third time in the contest.
• With a five-run cushion, Mitch Brigando entered to work a four-batter scoreless ninth, sealing the win for Sean O'Melia who went 7.2 strong innings for his first win of the season.

For the Bears

• Brian Luebcke (3-for-5, RBI, 2 R, 2B, 3B) knocked three hits for the sixth time this season and fell a home run short of the cycle.
• Connor Pasetti and Thomas Pallatto both finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, Pasetti also scoring a run.
• Nicholas LoPrinzi (2-for-3) also accumulated a pair of hits with a RBI, two runs scored with a double.
• Sean O'Melia improved to 1-1 on the hill working a career-long 7.2 innings also striking out a career-best seven, allowing four earned runs.

For the Bloodhounds

• Charlee Rodriguez played a part in all four runs for the hosts with a 2-for-4 effort with three RBI and scoring a run.
• Dylan Laudano and Brian Garcia both went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
• Matthew Oppesdisano took the loss tossing 5.2 innings with only one of his five runs earned.

Inside the Box Score

• Six Bloodhound errors plagued the hosts allowing six of the nine Bears runs to come across unearned.
• Ranked second in the Skyline and 29th in Division III in fielding percentage, the Bears were errorless in the field.

The Bear Facts

• John Condon and Thomas Pallatto both extended their hitting streaks to eight games, the longest active streaks on the team.
• Connor Pasetti stretched his reached base safely streak to 11 games.
• St. Joseph's wins their 13th straight over John Jay and improves to 15-3 all-time

Next Up for St. Joseph's

The Bears wrap up their non-conference schedule facing New York University for the second time this season in a doubleheader at MCU Park on Thursday, April 21st. Game one will begin at 1 p.m. with live stats available at SJCBears.com