Long Ball Lifts Baseball to Sweep of St. Joseph's-Brooklyn

When and Where:

April 22, 2023 - Patchogue, NY

Records:

St. Joseph's (L.I.), 22-3, 11-1 Skyline; St. Joseph's (BK) 9-15, 4-6 Skyline

Results:

The St. Joseph's University (L.I.) baseball team needed extras in game one to pull of a 4-3 win before completing the Skyline Conference sweep of St. Joseph's University (BK) with a 12-5 win in game two at Gregg Alfano Field on Saturday afternoon.

Game One: SJLI 4,  SJBK 3
Key Players:

• In his only at-bat of the game, sophomore Michael DiFilippo blasted a walkoff homerun to left

• Senior Ryan Decoursey went 2-for-4 with two RBIs

• Sophomore Dante Morabito was strong out of the pen allowing just two hits with nine strikeouts in six innings of scoreless relief

How it happened:

• The Golden Eagles we first on the board in the bottom of the first when Phil Krpata worked a lead off walk and after stealing second came into score on consecutive groundouts to the right side

• SJBK strung together three straight singles in the top of the third resulting in a two runs for a 2-1 advantage

• A leadoff homerun by Sean Schneeberg in the top of the sixth extended the Bears' lead to 3-1

• A two-RBI double into the left-center gap by Decoursey erased the SJBK lead and knotting the score at 3

• The teams would be deadlocked for next six innings each side standing four runners before DiFilippo lead off the bottom of the 13th inning with a solo homerun to left field

Notes:

• St. Joseph's starter Jack Kelly allowed three runs on nine hits with two strikeouts 

• SJLI's Michael Manzolillo got the win after pitching around a two-out single in the top of the 13th

• SJBK's Junstin Conaty took the loss allowing one run on three hits with three Ks in 4.2 innings of reliefe

Game Two: SJLI 12, SJBK 5

Key Players:

• Sophomore James Maggio went deep twice finishing 2-for-2 with six RBIs and two runs scored 

• Senior Paul Gugliuzzo went 2-for-3 knocking in two runs, scoring two, and stealing three bases

• Seniors Phil Krpata and Jake Giannico also recorded two hits and two runs apiece

• Senior Ryan Foran picked up his first win of the season allowing just three earned runs on five hits in a complete game effort

How it happened:

• The Bears scored in the top of the first when a walk and a couple of infield hits resulted in the game's first run

• SJLI responded quickly when Krpata tripled to leadoff the inning and came in to score on a groundout to the rightside. The next three batters all reached loading the bases for Maggio who knocked a grand slam to left puting the Golden Eagles ahead 5-1

• St. Joseph's-Brooklyn wouldn't trail long scoring two runs in the top of the second and third to tie the game at 5

• Maggio's second homerun of the game came in the bottom of the third giving the hosts a 7-5 lead

• Three more runs in the bottom of the fourth created some distance for the Golden Eagles

• SJLI's Foran allowed just one baserunner in the final two innings to secure the 12-5 win

Notes:

• SJBK's Matt McHugh suffered the loss allowing four runs on four hits in 2.2 innings of relief 

• The Golden Eagles swiped eight bases without getting caught. The Bears were credited with two

• SJLI finished with 10 hits and held the Bears to just five

Next up, the Golden Eagles will resume Skyline Conference play when they host SUNY Old Westbury for a double header on Sunday, April 23 at 11:00 am.