Pietrandrea's Powerful Debut Leads Prince George's Baseball To Season-Opening Win Against SUNY Orange

LARGO, Md. – Freshman Josh Pietrandrea (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) could not write a better script for his first collegiate game. The freshman went 3-for-3 with two home runs including his second homer of the day that ended a 12-2 victory in five innings to power Prince George's Community College past SUNY Orange in the baseball season opener for both teams. Despite scoring eight times in the last two innings, the Owls fell in the nightcap 9-8.

Pietrandrea's first collegiate at bat was a battle, but with the count at 3-2 the freshman drilled a shot over the center field fence for his first collegiate home run. After walking in the second inning, he reached on a slow roller to the shortstop for an infield single. The Colts then scored two runs in the top of the fifth to send the game to the bottom of the inning only to see Pietrandrea lumber up for the second time on the afternoon with a two-run shot to give the new-look Owls (1-1) a walk-off victory. The freshman was 1-for-3 with a run scored to finish his first collegiate afternoon 4-for-7 with four runs scored and three RBIs.

Sophomore Bay To (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti) went 4-for-8 with five runs scored and an RBI. Naquan Holden (Brooklyn, N.Y./Perkiomen) added a hit, three runs scored and two RBIs. Holden and To are two of four players remaining from last year's National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III World Series run.

Tommy Petrosino Jr (Bayonne, N.J./St. Anthony's) recorded three hits and three runs scored while Dominic Marquez (Long Beach, Calif./Jordan) notched three hits, two RBIs and a run scored. Vinny Rotundo (New York, N.Y./Middletown) added a hit, three RBIs and a run scored on the afternoon.

Prince George's jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings and never looked back en route to a 12-2 season opening win in five innings.

Brandon Crosby (Richmond, Va./Atlee, Mechanicsville), a 2017 NJCAA Division III first team All-American, singled and came around to score on an error for the first run of the game in a four-run first. To tripled and scored on a wild pitch before Pietrandrea's first collegiate round tripper. Holden singled and touched home on Rotundo's first collegiate hit, an RBI single to right center to give the Owls a 4-0 lead after one inning.

Petrosino singled to start a three-run second in his first collegiate at-bat and touched home on an error. To plated Austin Adams (Atlanta, Ga./Whitewater), who walked after Petrosino's single, and then To touched home after Holden stole second for a 7-0 advantage.

The Largo program nearly put the game away in the fourth after a three-run rally. To reached on an error and Pietrandrea reached on an infield single and Holden was hit with the pitch to load the bases with one out. Rotundo brought in To on a sacrifice fly to right and then Pietrandrea and Holden converted a double steal to score the ninth run of the game. Marquez capped the inning with an RBI single to center to score Holden and give Prince George's a 10-0 lead.

After SUNY Orange scored two runs in the top of the fifth, To reached on a fielder's choice in front of Pietrandrea's second blast of the day to end the game.

Keaton Bradley (Bahama, N.C./Northern Durham) allowed two runs on four hits with three strikeouts to earn his first collegiate win.

The second game almost mirrored the first only with the Colts jumping out to the big lead. The Largo team wanted to prove that they had something in common with the Owl comeback kids of 2017, but fell just short at 9-8.

After SUNY Orange jumped out to an 8-0 lead after five innings, Prince George's scored eight of the final nine runs of the game to nearly rally to tie the game.

In the bottom of the sixth, Petrosino led off the inning with a single up the middle and moved to third on Pietandrea's double to right center. Holden plated Petrosino with an RBI groundout and Pietrandrea scored on an error. Marquez brought home Rotundo on an RBI double down the right field line and O'Neal Torche (Jersey City, N.J./St. Anthony's), who had two hits in the game, smacked a two-run single down the left field line to cut the margin to 8-5 going into the last inning.

A solo homer by the Colts in the top of the seventh would prove to be the difference in the game to give the visitors a 9-5 edge.

Prince George's posted three runs in the bottom of the seventh and left the game-tying run on base. Bases loaded walks coaxed by Holden and Rotundo scored two runs for the Owls before Holden crossed the plate on a wild pitch to make it a one-run game. With the tying run on third, a strikeout ended the game.

Tyrone Miller Jr (Miami, Fla./Norland) took the loss in the nightcap.

The third game in the series was cancelled due to Sunday's weather forecast. Prince George's returns to action with its first road and Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference game at CCBC Essex on Mar. 6. Game time is 3 p.m.