Yesterday afternoon on a cold day on Jeff Adams Field, the baseball team improved to 6-0 on the season with a 14-2 non-league victory over Smithtown Christian. Coupled with Friday’s 12-0 win, the Bears outscored the Knights 26-2 over the last two games.

Yesterday was a classic Long Island March day with a cold that seeped into the bones and an unrelenting wind, but the Bears’ bats stayed hot despite the conditions, ringing up double-digit runs for the fifth time in their first six games.

The Knights struck first in the top of the 1st after not sending a base runner past first base on Friday. After Josh Diaz opened with a pair of strikeouts, an infield single and a walk preceded a pair of errors that gave the visitors a 1-0 lead. It would prove to be a short-lived advantage.

In the bottom of the 1st, Aiden Ruiz, Larry Hotaling, and Jordan Serrano drew walks to load the bases with nobody out. Anthony DeCesare followed by hitting a ball that looked destined to find the right-center field grass had Smithtown Christian’s centerfielder not made a diving play. The out still resulted in a sacrifice fly to knot the game at 1-1. A double steal allowed Hotaling to steal home for a 2-1 edge before Travis Stroud II drew a walk and Seth Laureano was hit by a pitch to reload the bases. Two walks followed to Mateo Lopez and Shea Corona, forcing home runs and giving The Brook a 4-1 advantage. Diaz then helped his cause with the Bears’ first hit of the game on a line drive single to left that plated a pair and gave the hosts a 6-1 lead.

Diaz held the Knights at bay in the 2nd, striking out two and using a ground out to end a bases-loaded threat. The Bears came back with seven runs in the bottom half to put the game away early. The Bears again loaded the bases with no outs when Serrano walked and DeCesare and Stroud II were hit by pitches. An E4 on a Lopez ground ball scored two before a Diaz double to right plated two more for a 10-1 lead. Ruiz followed with a single on a pop fly that the third baseman lost in the wind (11-1) before a pair of runs came in on a Hotaling ground out (13-1).

The Bears added a final run in the 3rd when an Alex Baaden ground out sent home Peter Calone, who walked. The Knights added another run in the 6th, but the Bears closed out the 14-2 win with a double play and a strikeout.

Diaz earned the win with 1 hit and 1 run over 2.0 innings with 5 strikeouts. Baaden, Matthew Ramirez, and Wyatt Simons split the next three innings, each striking out two while shutting out the Knights. Corona nailed down the final inning with 1 run and 1 strikeout. Diaz also starred at the plate with 2 hits and 4 RBI, while Lopez and Hotaling each added 2 RBI.

The Bears are back on the diamond Wednesday afternoon when they host John Jay in a non-league tilt.

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