Baseball Opens With Late 5-4 Loss to Kean Cougars

Union, N.J. – It took two weeks of cancellations due to winter weather, but the St. Joseph's baseball team finally got to take to the field on Sunday as they traveled to Kean University for their maiden outing of the season.  Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles (0-1), they squandered a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning to come up short against the Cougars (3-0), 5-4.

SJC got off to a charitable start as a Kean walk and two wild pitches allowed shortstop James Nakashian (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) to come around to score in the top of the first inning.  Designated hitter Nick Girardi (Syosset, N.Y./St. Dominic) singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch and then first baseman Brendan Sullivan (Plainview, N.Y./St. Dominic) walked and another wild pitch would send each forward another base.  Catcher Mike Aloisio (Westbury, N.Y./W.T. Clarke) followed with a walk to load the bases.  Two fielder's choices by second baseman Anthony Andreani (Whitestone, N.Y./Holy Cross) and leftfielder Bob Keating (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Kellenberg) plated two more runs for the Golden Eagles in a sloppy inning for Kean, resulting in a 3-0 lead.

Kean answered back for one run in the bottom of the first via an RBI single from Salvatore Taormina off of Golden Eagles starter Ryan Aloise.  The score would remain 3-1 until the bottom of the sixth when another RBI single by Taormina brought home Kean's second run.  Aloise was relieved by Josh Outsen (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Copiague) following the hit, putting his line at 5.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 1 BB and 4 K's. Outsen shut down Kean with 2.2 innings of perfect ball, striking out three. 

Centerfielder Anthony Bonilla (Massapequa Park, N.Y. /Farmingdale) doubled down the left field line in the top of the seventh, driving home third baseman Joseph Calabrese (Westbury, N.Y./W.T. Clarke), who had doubled to right center, putting the ledger at 4-2.

Fortunes turned in the bottom of the ninth as hard-throwing Girardi took the mound (moving from DH) to close it for SJC, but was peppered with three hits (two RBI singles) and allowed two walks to let Kean walk-off with a 5-4 victory.

Bonilla went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI and Girardi also went 2-for-4 with a run scored.  Keating and Andreani had SJC's two other RBI's.

St. Joseph's will pack their bags and head down to sunny Florida for eight games in warmer weather beginning Wednesday at the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers.  They are scheduled for their home opener on Saturday, March 21 with a doubleheader vs. New Jersey City University at 11:30 a.m.