PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – SUNY Old Westbury baseball (2-0, 2-0 Skyline) made a triumphant return to competition, since last playing on March 11, 2020, by completing a Skyline Conference road sweep of the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) Bears (0-4, 0-2 Skyline) by scores of 15-5 and 16-1, respectively. 

Game 1: Old Westbury 15, St. Joseph's (Brooklyn) 5 

In the opening inning, Brandon Wilson broke the scoring ice for the Panthers as he smacked a double down the left field line off of Bear starter Andrew Monda (L, 0-2: 1.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, ER, BB) that scored John Dell'Olio. Two batters later, Oscar Fajardo (4-for-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, 2B) drove in Wilson on another RBI double that was smacked down the left field line to make it a 2-0 game. 

The Panthers erupted in the road half of the second frame and tallied four runs that were highlighted by Fajardo's two-run home run and Dell'Olio's solo blast, respectively, to swell the lead to six (6-0).     

Tim Woodford (W, 1-0: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K) was tested in his Panther debut in the bottom of the second inning as Nick Tapio hit a two-run double that plated Lucas Collet (1-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB) and Anthony Hernandez to make the score 6-2 in favor of Old Westbury.

The Bears continued to fight back in the bottom of the third as William DeLuca slapped an RBI double that scored Mike Santoriello to cut the Bear deficit to three (6-3).

Joseph Bekios (ND, 0-0: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) entered in relief for the Panthers in the bottom of the fifth inning and battled out of a one out bases loaded jam by striking out DeLuca swinging and made Hernandez ground out to shortstop Mike Manetta (3-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, R, BB). 

In the top of the sixth inning, Fajardo slapped his second home run of the game, this time off of Bear reliever Louis Lombardi (ND, 0-0: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) to extend the lead to 8-3. 

The Panthers would compile seven more runs over the course of the game, including a three-run home run by Manetta in the top of the seventh frame, to settle the 15-5 victory. 

Game 2 (7 Inn.): Old Westbury 16, St. Joseph's (Brooklyn) 1

In the top of the first inning, the Panthers scored a trio of runs off of Bear starter Matt McHugh (L, 0-2: 4.1 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) as Fajardo (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2B, R) continued his stellar day at the plate by hitting a double to right center field that brought home Kaminski (2-for-3, 2 RBI, BB) for the third run.

In the road half of the next inning, Dell'Olio (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI) slapped an RBI double down the left field line that scored Nic Labiento (1-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB) to extend the lead to four (4-0).

In the top of the third frame, Kaminski came to bat with the bases loaded and smacked a single up the middle that cleared the bases and brought home Labiento, Manetta (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB) and Dell'Olio, respectively to break the game open and give the Panthers a comfortable 7-0 cushion.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Panthers scored two more runs on an RBI double by Jamal Ritter (2-for-5, 2 RBI, R) who would score on a Labiento single down the left field line two batters later which ballooned the lead to nine (9-0). 

Old Westbury starter Eddie Guzman (W, 1-0: 5 IP, H, R, ER, 4 BB, 6 K) pitched four innings of shutout baseball until Tapio hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Collet to bring the Bears within eight (9-1).

The Panthers would ultimately score seven more runs to capture the 16-1 run-rule win.
 

UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS: Old Westbury (2-0, 2-0 Skyline) opens its home slate tomorrow, Sunday (Mar. 21) for another doubleheader against the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) Bears (0-4, 0-2 Skyline) at 11 a.m. from Rams Field in Farmingdale, N.Y.

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