By: By Michael L. Damon
Box Score Box Score
Brooklyn, N.Y. — Senior pitcher
John Massoni (Staten Island, NY, St. Peter's Boys) fanned a career-high 17 batters over seven innings while walking no one and allowing four hits and no earned runs (two unearned) in a dominating performance as the John Jay baseball team earned its first win of the season defeating St. Joseph's-Brooklyn 10-8 in the 2009 Legion Field home opener on Friday.
The senior left hander, whose 17 strikeouts was just five shy of the NCAA Division III record (22), struck out the first four batters he faced, and struck out the side 1-2-3 in the first, third and fifth innings. The south paw also struck out three batters in the seventh before being lifted due to his pitch count on the frigid March day.
“I felt good today, everything was working for me. I managed to get ahead in the count on most of the batters and was able to throw my pitches,” said Massoni, who's playing in his third season for John Jay after playing at Division I Long Island University during his freshman year. “I hit the spots I wanted too and it was good for us to get a win today and hopefully we can get some more now.”
Behind Massoni, who didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning, the Bloodhounds took a 2-0 advantage in the second inning. Sophomore second baseman
Steven Roman scorched a one out double to right center to drive in
Xavier Perez (Bronx, NY, Manhattan Center)and
Johan Abad (Corona, NY, Flushing).
John Jay held a two run lead into the fifth inning when they tacked on six more (five unearned) with help from St. Joseph's-Brooklyn poor fielding. With two outs and two runs in, Perez lined a shot to right field that came off the glove of the Bears right fielder. This allowed the next batter, Abad, to rip a single through the right side to score
Luis Guzman (Yonkers, NY, Mt. St. Michael's) and Perez, who stole second to get into scoring position.
The inning was capped off when the next batter,
Benjamin Beiro (Bronx, NY, Wesley Chapel), who was 3-for-5 with a run and a pair of RBIs, connected on his first career home run, a two run shot to left field, to give John Jay the eight run lead.
The Bears got on the board in the top of the sixth when, with two outs, a fly ball to center was dropped allowing a St. Joseph's-Brooklyn base runner to score from third.
John Jay got the run back in the bottom half when a single by
Jason Witten (Staten Island, NY, New Dorp) drove in Massoni, who went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI at the plate.
The two teams exchanged runs again in the seventh inning and the Bloodhounds led 10-2 after seven innings.
St. Joseph's-Brooklyn however got back into the game with a six spot in the eighth against the John Jay bullpen to pull to within 10-8. The first six batters reached base safely and the Bears scored two runs before the first out was recorded.
James Podlucky (Staten Island, NY, IMG Academy), who started in left field, came on to pitch and recorded the final six outs.
John Jay recorded 13 hits in the game and left nine runners on base.
John Jay returns to action on Tue. Mar. 17 at Manhattanville College at 3:30 p.m.
