Palermo Belts First HR as a Bear but Baseball Can’t Overcome Marymount

ARLINGTON, Va. — Looking for their first win of the season, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team took on Marymount University (Va.) in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The Bears' pitching staff had their strongest twin-bill of the season holding the hosts to nine total runs, but the offense couldn't put it all together and SJC will head into tomorrow's Virginia finale still searching for their first victory.

The Basics

• Final Score (Game 1): Marymount 3, St. Joseph's 1
• Final Score (Game 2): Marymount 6, St. Joseph's 5
• Records: Marymount (6-5), St. Joseph's (0-5)
• Location: Arlington, Va. — Bishop O'Connell H.S.

How It Happened (Game 1)
SJC Starters: Acosta (LF), Palermo (3B), Schwartz (SS), Gonzalez (DH), Ryan (C), Langan (1B), Reyes (RF), K. McLaughlin (CF), Trudden (2B); J. McLaughlin (P)

• Junior right-hander J.J. McLaughlin (Elmont, N.Y./Sewanhaka) had a very strong outing in his first start of the season, however, the Saints struck early as a Luke Tyree homer had them leading 2-0 after one. Marymount would score their only other run of the game in the fifth after Conner Hall drove a two-out single to left field driving in Kaden Darrow for a 3-0 lead.
• The Bears found their way into the run column in the next half inning as a Saints' error put a runner on second base and freshman Michael Ryan (Franklin Square, N.Y./Holy Trinity) came through with a two-out single of his own for his first career RBI. That was all SJC's offense had to offer in the nine-inning contest as they dropped a low-scoring game one.

How It Happened (Game 2)
SJC Starters: Acosta (LF), Palermo (3B), Schwartz (2B), Ryan (C), Gonzalez (DH), DeLuca (1B), McLaughlin (CF), Reyes (RF), Trudden (SS); Watters (P)

• Freshman Justus Acosta (Little Neck, N.Y./Holy Cross) began the game with a single and subsequently stole second. The next batter walked and five-hitter Michael Gonzalez (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood capitalized driving in both on a single to left for a 2-0 advantage. A bases-loaded walk then gave SJC a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first.
• Anthony Palermo (Patchogue, N.Y./Sachem North) belted a solo home run in the second to extend SJC's lead, but Marymount tallied two runs in the bottom half to get right back in the game. A passed ball in the top of the fourth pushed the Bear's lead to 5-2, but the hosts tied things up in the bottom of the fifth on two hits and three walks while Hall came up big an inning later with the go-ahead RBI double to secure a sweep on the day.

For the Bears

• Ryan went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the first game and classmate Kyle McLaughlin (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Comsewogue) recorded a 1-for-3 line in the same contest.
• J. McLaughlin went five innings on the mound in game one while allowing three runs and five hits on top of eight strikeouts. Sophomore Peter Terranova (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) came in after McLaughlin and fired three shutout innings (1 K).
• Palermo shined in game two going 2-for-2, scoring three runs and driving in one on his solo shot. Junior Adam Schwartz (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan Wagner) followed suite going 2-for-3 in the game (R).

Next Up for the Bears

• The finale of their Virginia trip going back to Mary Washington for two more games tomorrow (Mar. 11) beginning at 1 p.m. with live stats at SJCBears.com.