YAPHANK, NY – Sophomore outfielder Joe Harten (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) recorded the most impressive single-game performance in St. Joseph's College Baseball history, blasting three home runs with 10 RBI during a 15-14 loss to Mount Saint Vincent in extra innings at the Baseball Heaven Sports Complex on Sunday afternoon.  Mount Saint Vincent took the nightcap 21-5.

Harten, a transfer from Molloy College, launched his St. Joseph's career with a 2.286 slugging percentage, hitting a perfect 5-for-5, nine RBI, three homers, three runs, two stolen bases, two walks, and a double for the twin bill.  He also went perfect in the outfield with four putouts and an assist.

St. Joseph's (0-2) and is 0-5 all-time in extra inning games.  Mount Saint Vincent (2-2) picked up their first two wins on the season.  This is the first meeting between the two schools.


Game 1 – Mount Saint Vincent 15, St. Joseph's 14 (9 innings)

Mount Saint Vincent came from behind on three separate occasions before scoring the winning run in the ninth inning in the 25-hit slugfest.

Harten powered the Bears going 5-for-5 with three home runs (including a grand slam in the fourth), three runs scored, a double and a stolen base.  He set single game records in home runs, RBI and total bases (15) and tied the mark for hits. 

Also for St. Joseph's, Chris Davidson (San Carlos, CA/Carlmont) was one of four Bears with two hits, going 2-for-3 , scoring four runs, driving in two, with a double.  Anthony Langone (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) had a pair of hits and runs with an RBI.  Joseph Boccia (Westwood, NJ/Westwood) and Thomas Karasinski (Staten Island, NY/New Dorp) each had two hits and a run scored with Karasinski also knocking in a run.  Jon Mendez (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) scored twice and walked twice.  Chris Coffey (Brooklyn, NY/St. Edmund's) started on the mound giving up six runs (three earned) in 2.0 innings, striking out four in the no decision.  Davidson was credited with the loss, entering in the ninth.

Senior Joe Blackford (Stewartsville, NJ/Warren Hills) led Mount Saint Vincent delivering the game-winning RBI and earning the win on the mound. Blackford and Michael Pope collected two hits each.  Four Dolphins drove in two runs, including Ryan Hollborn (Islip Terrace, NY/St. John the Baptist). Mike Ruckdaschel (East Meadow, NY/East Meadow) scored four runs.

St. Joseph's jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first, with Davidson RBI double by followed by a Harten three run homer.  The Dolphins took their first lead with a six-run second and St. Joseph's pulled back within one with Mendez scoring in the third on a Keith Juricich (San Mateo, CA/Serra) sacrifice fly.  The Bears jumped back on top plating five runs in the fourth, Davidson delivering a two out RBI single to tie the game, and Harten hitting a grand slam to give St. Joe's a 10-6 lead. 

The Bears carried a two run lead into the bottom half of the seventh.  A leadoff walk followed by an error put the tying runs on the bases and after a sacrifice bunt, back-to-back singles by the top of the Dolpnins lineup knotted the score at 12-12.

Harten put the Bears up once again with a two-run blast in the eighth, but Mount Saint Vincent extended the game again with a two-out, two-run, pinch-hit triple by Hollborn.

Blackford retired the Bears in order in the top of the ninth and in the bottom half of the frame hit the game-winning single, delivering Pope, which also earned him the win.


Game 2 – Mount Saint Vincent 21, St. Joseph's 5

In the nightcap, St. Joseph's were left deflated after the extra inning loss and couldn't get the bats going falling behind early and unable to recover.

Mendez went 2-for-4 with a run, RBI, a double and stolen base.  Davidson also picked up two hits, the only other Bear with a multiple hit game.  Keith Juricich (San Mateo, CA/Serra) had three RBI and Joseph Boccia (Westwood, NJ/Westwood) scored twice.   Danny Contant (Staten Island, NY/Xaverian) started on the mound going 1.1 innings, taking the loss.

John McManus (Bayside, NY/Holy Cross HS) and Kevin Coogan (Bronx, NY/Cardinal Spellman) led Mount Saint Vincent with six RBI and five RBI respectively.  Hollborn collected three hits, and four Dolphins finished with two hits. 

In the top half of the first, Mendez drove in Boccia with a double for St. Joseph's only lead of the game.  The Dolphins went ahead in the bottom half of the frame with a Blackford two-RBI double.  Mount Saint Vincent added five runs in the second with McManus hitting a grand slam.  The Dolphins posted a single tally in the third, plated seven runs in the fourth to put the game firmly in control.

St. Joseph's managed to load the bases in the seventh, and Juricich delivered a two-out, three-run double, but the deficit was too large to overcome.


St. Joseph's returns to the diamond on Saturday, March 13 facing Maritime College on the road in a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.