Lombardi’s Career Day on the Bump Leads Baseball to Split with League-Leading St. Joseph’s (L.I.)

BROOKLYN, N.Y. —  Senior Louis Lombardi (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) finished with a career-high nine strikeouts in his first collegiate complete game on Saturday afternoon. The senior pitcher also logged an RBI single, lifting the St. Joseph's University (Brooklyn) baseball team to a 3-1 game-one triumph over sibling rivals St. Joseph's University (Long Island).

In the second game of the doubleheader, a two-run lead over three innings wasn't enough for the Bears (4-20, 2-12) as a six-run fourth inning guided the Golden Eagles (12-8, 11-3) to a 12-2 win in seven innings.

Game 1: Brooklyn 3, Long Island 1

All the games runs came over the first three innings with the Bears scoring first and never trailing. The Bears picked up one in the first with a two-out rally after Lucas Collet (Toulouse, France/Lyc'ee Bellevue) doubled and Lombardi helped his own cause with an opposite-field single.

The Bears increased their lead to 3-0 with a pair in the second, Thomas Airey (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) finding the gap in left center for a triple that scored Mike Medina Jr. (Selden, N.Y./Newfield). Chris Leary (Floral Park, N.Y/Floral Park Memorial) punched a two-out single to right to bring home Airey.

Long Island loaded the bases in the third and scored their lone run on a Bears miscue but Lombardi worked out of further trouble with a fly ball. 

After the threat in the third, Lombardi allowed just three more hits over the final four frames and only one Golden Eagle moved into scoring position. Lombardi went the distance for his first collegiate complete-game win and he struck a career-high nine. His lone run was unearned and he scattered four hits with four walks.

Game 2: Long Island 12, Brooklyn 2 

With two outs in the first and Collet in scoring position, Lombardi found the left-center field gap; sending the junior shortstop home. Shortly after, Lombardi scored from second on Kevin Reyes' (Bronx, N.Y./AECI) single for an early 2-0 lead. 

Starter Mike Santoriello (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) tossed three scoreless innings to begin the contest; issuing a walk and allowing a hit. But the visitors' bats came alive in the fourth as they knocked five hits and hung six runs to take the lead for good.

After the two hits in the first, the Bears were held to just one more hit, Chris Perez (Bronx, N.Y./Mount Saint Michael Academy) knocking a single in the seventh.

Mike Santoriello (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by the Sea) took the loss in the start. Justin Conaty worked 1.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit.

Up Next

The Bears visit the Quaker State for a matchup with KIng's College (Pa.) on Wednesday, April 20. First pitch from Wilkes-Barre, Pa. is scheduled for 4 p.m. with live stats and video available on sjcbears.com/live.