Baseball Pushes Win Streak to Five with Sweep of Yeshiva in Skyline Opener

YAPHANK, N.Y. — Junior William DeLuca (Valley Stream, N.Y./Valley Stream Central) went off for six RBI on the day and earned the pitching win in game two as the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team (6-1-1, 2-0 Skyline) swept Yeshiva University (1-5, 0-2 Skyline) in their Skyline opening doubleheader at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, New York on Sunday.

With the win, the Bears have now won five-straight contests and have gone undefeated in their weekend homestand after sweeping Pine Manor College yesterday as they're now 4-0 at home.

How It Happened (Game One): St. Joseph's 9, Yeshiva 3
SJC Starters: Schwartz (SS), Trudden (2B), Palermo (3B), Ryan (C), Gonzalez (DH), Reyes (LF), DeLuca (1B), Langan (RF), Zinser (CF); Bunnicelli (P)

C.J. Bunnicelli (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) retired the Macs one-two-three in the top of the first and the Bears backed him up with the game's opening run in the bottom half on an RBI single to right from designated hitter Michael Gonzalez (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood).

Bunnicelli allowed a hit in the second but kept the visitors scoreless and put them out one-two-three again in the top of the third while his offense followed by exploding for five runs in the bottom beginning with a leadoff single from senior Adam Schwartz (Staten Island, N.Y./Susan E. Wagner).

Senior third baseman Anthony Palermo (Patchogue, N.Y./Sachem North) then roped a double to left driving Schwartz home with just one out. Palermo crossed the plate soon after on a Yeshiva throwing error and DeLuca later put the exclamation point on the inning with a three-run home run to left center giving SJC a 6-0 advantage.

The Bears maintained a 7-0 lead entering the sixth and Bunnicelli allowed just two baserunners in the first five innings, but Yeshiva's bats found their stride in the top of the sixth as Leib Fant opened the frame with a bunt single and Aryeh Salovey stepped up next slamming a two-run shot to center for his squad's first runs of the game.

Freshman Louis Lombardi (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) hit a two-run single up the middle in the seventh for a pair of SJC insurance runs pushing their edge to 9-2 after seven. Yeshiva pushed across a single tally in the eighth but couldn't catch up to the Bears as senior right-hander Matthew Rienzi (Maspeth, N.Y./Xavier) tossed the final three innings allowing one run (unearned) with four strikeouts to earn his first save of the season.

How It Happened (Game Two): St. Joseph's 16, Yeshiva 1
SJC Starters: Schwartz (SS), Trudden (2B), Palermo (1B), Gonzalez (3B), Reyes (RF), DeLuca (P), Caputo (C), Hernandez (LF), Zinser (CF)

Schwartz walked, stole second, and stole third to open the bottom of the first followed by a hit batsman and flyout putting runners at first and third with one out. Then, three-straight RBI singles from Gonzalez, Kevin Reyes (Bronx, N.Y./AECI), and DeLuca put the Bears on the board leading 3-0 after one.

St. Joseph's stranded two runners in scoring position in the second but made up for it in the third as Michael Ryan (Franklin Square, N.Y./Holy Trinity) roped a single to center that plated Gonzalez, who reached on a walk, and Reyes, who reached on a double, and extended the Bears' advantage to 5-0.

SJC's bats gained momentum as the game went on, scoring four more in the fourth featuring a two-run triple from DeLuca. The Macs plated their only run of the game in the fifth on a wild pitch and St. Joseph's kept going in their half of the inning piling on seven more tallies on the strength of seven hits and an error to seal the victory.

For the Bears

• DeLuca was 3-for-6 across the twin-bill with six RBI, three runs, a home run, and a triple as well as pitching five innings for the win (1-0) in game two allowing just two hits, one run, and one walk while striking out nine.
• Schwartz went 4-for-4 with three runs, two steals, and a triple in game two while Reyes (two R, two RBI, two 2B) and Gonzalez (four R, RBI, 2B) each went 3-for-4 in the second contest.
• Bunnicelli (1-1) earned the pitching win in game one going six strong innings with nine strikeouts giving up four hits, two runs, and a walk while rookie Zach Stevens (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) tossed two scoreless innings to close out game two in his first collegiate appearance and recorded a hit in the first at-bat of his career.
• Ryan went 4-for-9 on the day (five RBI, three R, 3B, SB) and Palermo shined as well going 3-for-9 with four runs, two RBI, and a double.
• Sophomore Nicholas Hernandez (Parkland, Fla./St. John Paull II Academy) went 1-for-4 in game two notching his first collegiate hit.

Next Up for the Bears
A trip to Kissimmee, Florida for the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational taking on Thomas College (Maine) in a doubleheader on Monday (Mar. 18) beginning at 9:30 a.m.