On Friday afternoon, the baseball team continued its undefeated start to the season with a 12-0 victory over Smithtown Christian in the home opener. It marked the fourth time in their first five games that the Bears scored double-digit runs.

Leo Vitarelli took the mound for the Bears and set the tone for the day by striking out the side on 13 pitches. The Bears came up in the bottom half of the 1st and put two on with nobody out on an Aiden Ruiz single and a Larry Hotaling walk. Jordan Serrano dug in and doubled down the left field line to plate both Bears for an early 2-0 lead. Following a fly out and a Juju Martinez walk, Travis Stroud II grounded out to send Serrano home and give The Brook a 3-0 lead.

Vitarelli retired the side in order in the 2nd to bring the Bears back up to bat. Walks to Mateo Lopez and Alex Baaden got the Bears started before a Ruiz double to center plated both for a 5-0 lead. Ruiz jetted to 3rd on a passed ball, then scored two pitches later on a Hotaling single. Serrano’s second double of the day, this time to right field, scored Hotaling as the Bear lead reached 7-0 with nobody out. Serrano then scored on a wild pitch after tagging on a fly out. Martinez worked another walk before a Stroud II single and a Seth Laureano walk loaded the bases with one out. Martinez then scored on a Lopez ground ball (9-0) before Stroud II stole home to push the advantage to 10-0.

Vitarelli continued to look sharp in the top half of the 3rd, despite sitting for a long offensive inning, striking out three to work around a one-out walk. He finished with seven strikeouts on the afternoon in three innings of work. The Bears added another run in the bottom of the inning when they loaded the bases with no outs on a Ruiz single and walks to Hotaling and Serrano. An Anthony DeCesare single pushed Ruiz across for an 11-0 lead.

Chris Nell took over for Vitarelli to open the 4th and struck out three to work around a one-out single, the Knight’s only hit of the afternoon. The Bears scored for a final time in the bottom of the inning when walks to Peter Calone, Shea Corona, and Laureano loaded the bases before Calone scored on a double play.

Nick Parker took the mound in the 5th with a chance to close out the win and did so in dominant fashion by striking out the side on 10 pitches to nail down a 12-0 victory.

The pitching was dominant today as the Bears allowed just one hit, two base runners, and no walks while ringing up 13 strikeouts out of a possible 15 outs. Neither Knight base runner reached second base as the Vitarelli, Nell, and Parker narrowly missed tossing the 13th no-hitter in team history. Ruiz (3 H/ 1 RBI) and Serrano (2 H/ 3 RBI) powered the offense.

The Bears are back on the diamond on Monday afternoon when they host Smithtown Christian in another non-league match-up on Jeff Adams Field.

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