Lombardi Drives in Five; Multi-Hit Games from Hernandez, Collet Not Enough in Baseball’s Defeats to St. Mary’s (Md.)

ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. — Despite scoring 11 runs on the day and holding leads in both of their contests, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team dropped both ends of their twin-bill with the St. Mary's College of Maryland on Tuesday.  

Anthony Hernandez (Selden, N.Y./Newfield) went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored while Kevin Reyes (Bronx, N.Y./AECI) drove in a run as the Bears (2-6) dropped game one, 3-2.

Game two saw Louis Lombardi (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) set a career-high for hits (3) and RBI (5) in a single game as he went 3-for-3. SJC was unable to hold an 8-3 lead as a Seahawk (4-5) seven-spot in the fourth inning surged the hosts past the Bears, 12-9.

How it Happened (Game 1)

Following a pair of scoreless innings, Hernandez's double began the third inning. The sophomore scored on a routine ground ball, hit by Reyes, that was misplayed by the St. Mary's shortstop. Damage was minimal on the bump for Lombardi, striking out a Seahawk trio and allowing just three hits in the opening four innings.

Abner Victor (San Pedro De Macorís, Dominican Republic/John Adams) singled to third to start the fifth before reaching home on an error and a pair of wild pitches in the frame; doubling their lead in the process.

The bottom half of the inning saw the hosts cut the Bears' lead in half on an RBI double. Nate Brown singled in the game-tying run while an SJC error brought in the go-ahead run, 3-2. The Bears managed to place a couple of baserunners on in the top of the seventh but to no avail as the Seahawks took the first game of the twin bill.

How it Happened (Game 2)

Hernandez led the nightcap with a base hit on the first pitch of the game, stealing second on the very next pitch. With one out and two runners on, Lombardi singled down the left-field line, bringing Hernandez over the plate. Lucas Collet (Toulouse, France/Lyc'ee Bellevue) recorded his first hit of the day with an RBI single to left, building the Bears' lead to 2-0 in the first inning. 

Thanks to some heads-up baserunning by Victor and Michael Gardener (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale), the duo scored on a fielding error by the Seahawks following a Hernandez bunt. Lombardi fired off a two-run double to extend the navy and gray's lead to 6-1. The senior once again drove multiple runs with a two-run single in the fourth to give SJC an 8-3 advantage.

The Seahawks plated seven runs on four hits in their half of the fourth, taking a 10-8 lead; cushioning it to 12 with runs in each of the next two innings. The Bears would score one more run in the final frame – a sac-fly from Hernandez to score Justin Biordi (Howard Beach, N.Y./Scholars' Academy) – but they could not cut deeper into the host's lead, falling 12-9. 

For the Bears

• Hernandez combined to go 3-for-7 with four runs scored over the two games. His three runs in game two set a career-high. He also had one stolen base.

• On the bump, Lombardi went 4.2 innings in game one, struck out four, and conceded as many hits and a pair of earned runs.

• Mike Medina Jr. (Selden, N.Y./Newfield) hit his first collegiate extra-base hit with a double in the opening game. 

• Collet went 2-for-4 with an RBI and one stolen base in game two, his third multi-hit game of the season. 

• Hernandez and Gardener recorded stolen bases in game two.

• Reyes scored a pair of runs in the nightcap.

• Matt McHugh (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) tossed 3.2 innings in the second game, striking out four. The sophomore settled for the no-decision.

Up Next

The Bears return to the Tri-State as they visit New Jersey City University on Friday, March 18 at 3:30 p.m. Live stats and video can be found on sjcbears.com/live.