STANDISH, ME – SJC starting pitchers Kyle Dorr ’10 (Berwick, ME) and Chad Rafferty ’13 (Keene, NH) picked up winning decisions with excellent performances and Ben Grant-Roy ’10 (Biddeford, ME) hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth in the nightcap to help the Monks (8-6, 2-0 GNAC) complete a sweep, 10-0 and 3-1, against GNAC opponent Rivier College (1-8, 0-2 GNAC) at Larry Mahaney Diamond on Saturday afternoon.
In the opener, St. Joe’s put up seven runs in the first inning and added single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames en route to the 10-0 win. Dorr picked up the first victory of his senior campaign after allowing two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in six innings and Matt Mullen ’11 (Rockland, MA) fanned two in a scoreless seventh inning of relief. Rivier starter Chris Hunt ’10 (Lisbon, NH) suffered the loss and allowed 10 earned runs, eight hits, and six walks in six innings.
Raiders starter Ford Coates ’13 (Raymond, NH) kept the Monks off balance for the majority of the closing contest, but suffered the loss despite allowing just four hits with six K’s in the complete-game effort. Rafferty was outstanding as well and allowed one earned run, six hits and two walks with a career-high 10 strikeouts and collected his first collegiate victory with the effort. Andrew Keirstead ’10 (Westbrook, ME) closed out the game with a scoreless seventh inning to record his third save of the season.
GAME ONE
SJC center fielder and offensive catalyst Nate Martin ’13 (Chebeague Island, ME) led off the bottom of the first with a walk on four straight pitches, stole second, advanced to third on a fly-out to right, and scored on a wild pitch to put the Monks up 1-0. Grant-Roy doubled home catcher Travis Adams ’10 (Saco, ME), who also walked, and left fielder Todd Keneborus ’11 (Hollis Center, ME/Cheverus) traded places with the SJC first baseman with a two-bagger of his own to put the Monks ahead 3-0. Three batters later, right fielder Craig Woodbrey ’10 (Gorham, ME) cracked a bases-loaded triple to deep right-center to make it a 6-0 game and Mike Burdin ’10 (Gardiner, ME) sent Woodbrey home with a bunt and run play to cap the seven-run inning.
St. Joe’s tacked on a run in the fourth when Woodbrey scored on a Martin sacrifice fly to right field. Grant-Roy crossed the plate on a Pat Moran ’10 (Winterport, ME) single in the fifth and, in the bottom of the sixth, Woodbrey scored again on another Martin sac fly to right to close out the game scoring.
Moran was the only player to record multiple hits and went 2-3 with a run and an RBI in the win. Woodbrey scored three runs and drove home three and Martin plated a pair in the one-sided contest.
GAME TWO
In the first frame of the nightcap, the Raiders scored their only run of the day when Pat Brooks ’11 (Milford, NH) hit a sacrifice fly to center to send catcher Gilberto Luis ’13 (Miami, FL), who singled to right to lead off the game, across the dish.
SJC shortstop Chris Campbell ’11 (Rochester, NH) kicked off the bottom of the first inning with a two-strike single up the middle, but the next Monk hit wouldn’t come until five innings later, as Coates proceeded to hold the Royal Blue hitless until Keneborus led off the sixth with a sharply hit single up the middle.
Rafferty pitched through several jams, including a tenuous situation in the top of the sixth when the Raiders had runners on second and third with two out and Coates at the plate. The SJC rookie righty prevailed with a curveball on a 1-2 count that was called for the third strike to escape un.
With the Monks running out of outs, it appeared the Raiders were capable of escaping Standish with a 1-0 conference victory. The one-run loss wouldn’t have been anything new for the hosts, as each of the Monks’ six losses this spring have been by a one-run deficit.
Keneborus, who entered the game in the fifth as a substitute for left fielder Sam Butts ’13 (Saco, ME), opened the sixth with the aforementioned liner up the middle and was promptly moved up to second with a sac bunt by right fielder Eric LaBatte ’11 (Rochester, ME). Martin replaced Keneborus as a pinch-runner at second base, but his speed wouldn’t be necessary, as he trotted home when Grant-Roy turned around a two-strike offering from Coates for a two-run tater well beyond the left field wall. Woodbrey battled for another two-strike hit, a single up the middle, and scored on an infield error to put the hosts up 3-1.
Keirstead entered the game in the seventh and induced three groundouts to close out the game, and the conference sweep, for the Monks.
For Rivier, Brooks and Luis both notched a pair of hits in the losing effort.
St. Joe’s will travel to Boston on Sunday to take on Suffolk University in a GNAC doubleheader at 12:00 PM, while Rivier will face off against conference counterpart Albertus Magnus in New Haven in a twinbill slated to begin at 12:00 PM.