St. Joseph’s facing a big week on the diamond

METUCHEN — The Saint Joseph High School baseball team snapped a two-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over Edison Friday. Chris Parenti improved his record to 5-0 with the complete game victory.

“It’s a nice, friendly rivalry between the two teams,” Saint Joseph head coach Lou Urbano said. “Vin Abene [Edison skipper] coached with me at Colonia, and our teams are very close as far as what we do.”

Parenti scattered seven hits with seven strikeouts and one walk for the Falcons, while Edison’s Nick Reider allowed two runs on five hits. The winning run was scored in the seventh after center fielder Alex Vitale led off with a walk. The Falcons’ next batter put down a sacrifice bunt and Vitale scored all the way from first on a throwing error.

“Reider pitched really well for Edison,” Urbano said. “He kept us in check offensively all game long.”

When the two teams met earlier this year, the game was anything but a pitching dual with Edison winning 12-11. Parenti’s strong outing was just what the team needed after a 7-5 loss to Old Bridge followed by a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Piscataway.

“Chris is really good at changing speeds and location,” Urbano said. “He doesn’t walk too many guys, and when the defense is solid behind him we are successful.”

In Friday’s win the Falcon defense committed just one error while Edison committed three with the final error plating the winning run.

“Edison usually doesn’t beat itself,” Urbano said. “I was definitely surprised to win it in that fashion, but that’s baseball. Earlier in the week, we found out that anybody can beat anybody on any given day in high school baseball.”

The Falcons beat both Old Bridge and Piscataway earlier in the season only to suffer losses the second time through the schedule. The Falcons are hoping this isn’t an indicator of how things will go when they face South Brunswick for the second time.

St. Joe’s topped South Brunswick 4-3 earlier in the season and the two teams are headed for a possible neck-and-neck finish in the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division. The Vikings currently hold a one-game lead over the Falcons in the Red Division, but the Falcons look capture the lead with another victory.

The two teams were scheduled to meet earlier this week in East Brunswick. Should the Falcons win and earn a share of first-place they would have the advantage of sweeping the regular-season meetings between the two teams.

Also at stake in Monday’s matchup was the No. 1 seed in the GMC Tournament. Heading into the tournament as the No. 1 seed and the defending champions could give the Falcons a psychological advantage. It would also make them the target of every team in Middlesex County.

The Falcons’ schedule resumes today as the team plays host to J.P. Stevens at 3:45 p.m.. St. Joe’s won the first meeting 17-5. The team will close the week hosting East Brunswick at 3:45 p.m. Friday. In the first meeting between the two teams, the Falcons topped the Bears 1-0.