Baseball Falls to Rutgers-Newark in Season Opener

NEWARK, N.J. —  The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) baseball team scored first in both ends of their 2022 season-opening doubleheader but fell to Rutgers-Newark, 8-2 and 7-4, in non-conference action from Weequahic Park on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Louis Lombardi (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) and junior Lucas Collet (Toulouse, France/Lyc'ee Bellevue) both knocked three hits on the afternoon and drove in a run to lead the offense. Anthony Hernandez (Selden, N.Y./Newfield) collected two hits, two RBI, and three stolen bases over the twinbill.

How it Happened - Game 1

Heads up baserunning by Thomas Airey (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage) with runners at the corners gave the Bears (0-2) a 1-0 lead in the second, but the Scarlet Raiders (4-1) responded with a run in the home half of the inning. Abner Victor (San Pedro De Macorís, Dominican Republic/John Adams) led off the third with a double and scored on a Hernandez single to put the Bears back on top, 2-1.

The navy and gray led until the fifth with the hosts putting up seven runs to take the lead for good. SJC threatened in their next at bat on singles by Lombardi, Zach Schnabel (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin), and Collet to load the bases, but came away empty-handed.

How it Happened - Game 2

After stranding two in the first, the Bears opened the scoring again in the second after Collet reached on an error, was sacrificed to third, and scored on a Michael Gardener (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) grounder. Back-to-back doubles by Victor and Kevin Reyes (Bronx, N.Y./Bronx, N.Y. / AECI) put the Bears ahead 2-0, but the hosts got one back in the home half.

The Bears increased their lead to 4-1 in the top of the fourth. Hernandez brought home Reyes who reached after being hit by a pitch. Hernandez later scored on a two-out base knock by Lombardi.

But the hosts used another big frame plating five on five hits in the bottom of the fourth to take control of the game, and pushed a solo run across in the fifth for the final 7-4 margin.

For the Bears

• Collet (3-for-7, 2 RBI, R, 2B), Lombardi (3-for-7, RBI), and Reyes (2-for-8, RBI, R, 2B) recorded the lone multi-hit games on the afternoon, Collet with a pair of hits in the opener and Lombardi and Reyes knocking two in the finale.
• Victor (2-for-6, R) knocked a double in both ends for his first two hits in a Bears uniform.
• Hernandez (2-for-6, 2 RBI, R) also hit successfully in both games and stole three bags.
• Mike Santoriello (4.1 IP, 6 ER) got the opening day start, striking out four in a losing effort.
• Justin Conaty (1.2 IP, 2 ER, 1 H) struck out two in his first collegiate appearance in game one.
• Thomas Gamba-Ellis (3 IP, ER, 2K) struck out a pair and held the Scarlet Raiders to one run over three in relief in game two.
• Gardener (1-for-3, RBI, BB) and Schnabel (1-for-2, BB) knocked their first collegiate hits.

Next Up

The Bears host Plattsburgh State tomorrow at USMMA's Lower Roosevelt Field in Kings Point for their home opener. The twinbill starts at 12:30 p.m. with live stats and video at SJCBears.com.