Yesterday afternoon, the baseball team closed the 2020-21 athletic year with a 7-2 non-league win over the newly-minted PSAA Champions, Long Island Lutheran.

Justin Porrino took the mound for the final time in his career and battled back in each of the first two at bats to induce groundouts after falling behind in the count, 3-0. With two outs and nobody on, LuHi’s third batter turned on the first pitch he saw from and delivered it over the left field wall to stake the visitors to a 1-0 lead. A pair of singles followed, but Porrino settled down to limit the damage with a pop out to first base. In the home half of the first, the Bears immediately struck back for four runs to forge a lead they would not give up. Lee Santiago earned a leadoff walk and Porrino reach on an error when the catcher dropped an infield pop up. The pair then moved up a base on a double steal before Santiago scored easily on a double by Tyler Smith. A Sebastian Perez groundout plated Porrino with a 2-1 lead and Aaron Babaev followed with a double as the Brook extended the edge to 3-1. Logan Charboneau roped a single to left field to score another run as the Bears took a 4-1 lead into the second.

In the top of the second, Porrino worked a 1-2-3 inning on just 11 pitches to bring the offense back to the plate. Santiago was again the leadoff hitter, after the Bears batted around in the first, and reached on a single in a 3-2 count. Porrino then dug in and helped his own cause when he struck the third pitch of the at-bat over the left field wall for a 2-run homer to extend the home lead to 6-1.

In the top of the third, Porrino allowed singles to the first 2 runners, but Jayden Stroman and Santiago combined on a fielder’s choice groundout before Santiago fired to third base to nab an overzealous LuHi baserunner as the Bears notched an unorthodox 4-6-5 double play. Another single followed, but a fly out to center ended the threat. In the home half, Charboneau launched the first pitch of the inning to left center and over the wall as the Bear advantage grew to 7-1.

Porrino needed just 3 pitches to get through the fourth, despite giving up a leadoff single. The other two pitches of the inning led to three outs as the second batter lined into an 8-3 double play and the third batter was retired on the next pitch on another lineout to center. Though the Bears would not muster any more offense over the final three innings, the defense ensured the lead was safe. Santiago relieved Porrino in the fifth and notched a 1-2-3 inning. Jojo Franco pitched the sixth and worked around a 1-out error with a pair of strikeouts, and Tim Wozny gave up a run in the seventh but slammed the door with a bases loaded strikeout to end the game.

Porrino earned the win with 1 earned run and 2 strikeouts over 4.0 innings and led the way at the plate with 2 hits and 2 RBIs. Charboneau added a pair of RBIs and Smith, Perez, and Babaev each notched an RBI as the Bears prevailed in the first baseball match-up between the programs.

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On a beautiful Saturday afternoon on Jeff Adams Field, the baseball team overcame a slow start to surge past Fordham Prep in a 5-2 win.

The morning began inauspiciously as the first three Rams batters reached safely on an error, a walk, and a single as the visitors grabbed a quick 1-0 lead. Jojo Franco shook off the rough start and came back with a strikeout, a fly out (which scored a second run), and a strikeout to limit the damage. The Bears put two men on in the bottom of the inning, but failed to carve into their deficit.

Franco began the second frame but hitting the batter, but responded with a pair of strikeouts and a pop up to second as he began to find his rhythm. The Bear offense awoke in the bottom of the inning, surging to a lead they would not relinquish. Sebastian Perez started with a walk before Logan Charboneau roped a 2-strike single to left field. Following a pop up, Jayden Stroman stroked a ball into center field in a 3-2 count to plate Perez. On the same play the Rams made a throwing error trying to nab Charboneau at third, and the 8th-grader came around to tie the game. 2-2. Lee Santiago followed by reaching base on an E4 and Justin Porrino followed with a line drive to left field to send Stroman home with the lead. The play was far from over once Stroman crossed home plate as the always-heady Porrino intentionally got himself hung up between first and second. Standing dead stopped between the bags, the senior beckoned the Rams to chase him into a run down and he succeeded in occupying them long enough to allow Santiago to charge home with another run. Adding further insult to injury, Porrino managed to get back to first base safely. The Bears would get no more in the second, but the damage had already been done in the 4-run inning.

The Rams opened the third inning with a single, but Franco induced a pop up and fielder’s choice to record two quick outs. Another single followed, but Tyler Smith erased a runner attempting to steal second to end the inning. The Bears went down in order in the bottom half. In the fourth, Franco continued to look stronger as the game wore on, working around 1-out HBP to put another zero on the board. After the Bears went scoreless in their offensive half, Aaron Babaev stole a hit away from the lead off hitter with a diving snag in left. A single and a flyout followed before a walk spelled the end of Franco’s day. Santiago came on in relief and induced a line out to Franco at second, who was fittingly able to complete his final inning after all.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Bears tacked on an always precious late-inning insurance run. Porrino led off with a single, then stole second before taking third on a passed ball. Two batters later, Babaev sent a 2-out single into center field to give the Brook a 5-2 edge. Santiago began the sixth with a strikeout, then brushed aside an HBP with a 4-6 fielder’s choice and a pick-off of the runner at first. The Bears went down in order in the bottom half as the game moved to the final inning. Fordham’s first batter reached with a single to wake up the first base dugout. Santiago then sandwiched a pair of strikeouts around a walk before loading the bases with an HBP. With the tying run on first base, the Rams sent a line drive to center, but the sure-handed Stephen Cisz was there to seal the victory.

Franco earned the win with 1 earned run and 4 strikeouts in 4.2 innings while Santiago nailed down the save with 2.1 scoreless innings and 3 strikeouts. Porrino powered the offense with 2 hits and 2 RBIs while Babaev and Stroman each added an RBI.

The Bears are back in action on Friday in a non-league match-up at Ward Melville.

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