STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph’s (13-7, 3-1 GNAC) scored 27 runs off 32 hits in two wins over non-conference opponent University of Maine-Farmington (0-9) at Larry Mahaney Diamond on Friday afternoon. The Monks topped the Beavers, 14-3, in the opener and closed out the day with a 13-5 victory in the nightcap.
Chris Campbell ’11 (Rochester, NH), Mike Burdin ’10 (Gardiner, ME), Todd Keneborus ’11 (Hollis Center, ME/Cheverus) and Craig Woodbrey ’10 (Gorham, ME) all registered five hits in the twinbill and Eric LaBatte ’11 (Rochester, NH) hit two taters and drove home five in the two-game set. Overall, the Monks’ first five batters hit .655 (19-29) with 19 runs and 20 RBI in the lopsided contests and the SJC offense stranded just 11 out of 39 total baserunners in the twinbill.
Southpaw Matt Mullen ’11 (Rockland, MA), who tossed 77 pitches with 54 strikes, received plenty of run support in his third career start and fanned three with four hits and one earned run allowed in five innings to collect his first collegiate victory in the opener. Game two starter Kevin Chamberlain ’11 (Scarborough, ME) was sharp as well, as the junior right-hander surrendered just two hits and a run with five K’s in five innings to earn the win and improve to 1-1 on the year.
Opening game starter Bill Ridge ’10 (South Portland, ME/Cheverus) took the loss for the Beavers after allowing 12 runs off 12 hits in 2.2 innings. Game two starter Brian Morrison ’10 (Saco, ME) was hit with the losing decision after tossing 3.2 innings with 13 runs and 12 hits allowed in the nightcap.
GAME ONE
Mullen got off to a great start with a pair of punchouts in the first frame and the St. Joe’s offense produced three runs in the bottom of the inning to stake the lefty to an early lead. The Monks scored runs on a Keneborus two-bagger, a Ben Grant-Roy ’10 (Biddeford, ME) groundout and a Moran sac fly in their first turn of the day.
The Beavers responded by scoring a run off a Kyle Shea ’10 (Bar Harbor, ME) base knock to center in the top of the second, but the SJC lineup put up a three-spot again in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-1 lead. Campbell plated a run with a double to left-center and Keneborus drove home a pair with a single up the middle.
UMF scored two unearned runs in the third frame to make it a 6-3 contest, but the Royal Blue bats came through with six runs off six hits in the bottom of the third to put the game out of reach. Moran led off the inning with a walk and was sent home when LaBatte turned on a Ridge offering and lined it over the left field wall. Campbell and Burdin notched RBI singles and Keneborus and Grant-Roy both belted RBI doubles for the Monks who led 12-3 after three frames.
Saint Joseph’s capped the game scoring with two runs in the fifth, as Keneborus and Moran both registered RBI’s to make the final score 14-3, Monks.
For St. Joe’s, Keneborus was 3-4 with two doubles, three runs and five RBI; Campbell went 3-3 with three runs and two RBI; Burdin was 3-3 with two runs and an RBI; and Woodbrey went 3-4 with two runs and a triple. Relievers Sean Drake ’13 (Lebanon, NH) and Jimmy Kennedy ’13 (York, ME) tossed scoreless sixth and seventh innings, respectively, for the hosts.
Matt Judkins ’10 (Thomaston, ME), Josh Garneau ’11 (South Portland, ME) and Shea all registered RBI’s in the loss for Farmington. Relievers Dale Winchenbach ’13 (Waldoboro, ME), Will Griffiths ’11 (Mechanic Falls, ME) and Erik Corcoran ’12 (Gorham, ME) combined to allow two runs and four hits in 3.1 innings of mop-up duty for the Beavers.
GAME TWO
After a scoreless, and hitless, first inning, Saint Joseph’s scored twice in the bottom of the second to provide Chamberlain with a two-run cushion. Moran capped a 10-pitch at bat with a double down the left field line to send Grant-Roy scrambling home and later scored on a LaBatte sac fly to center.
Keneborus and Grant-Roy notched RBI singles and Woodbrey doubled off the left-center wall to give the Monks a 6-0 lead after three frames and the Royal Blue increased the cushion to 13-0 with seven runs in the fourth. Burdin and Keneborus plated runs with singles; Grant-Roy registered an RBI with a sac fly to right and Moran and LaBatte both hit two-run jacks to cap the inning scoring.
The Beavers got on the board with a single run in the fifth when Garneau scored on a double play ball and tacked on four runs off five hits in the seventh to make the final score 13-5, St. Joe’s. Shea plated a pair with a single, Brian Jenkins ’12 (Gorham, ME) sent home a run with a ground out and Casey Ashey ’12 (Searsport, ME) knocked in a run with an infield hit.
For Saint Joseph’s, Campbell was 2-3 with two runs; Burdin went 2-3 with two runs and an RBI; Keneborus was 2-4 with two runs and two RBI; Grant-Roy went 1-1 with two runs and two RBI; Moran was 2-3 with two runs, three RBI, a double and a homer; and Woodbrey went 2-3 with a run, two RBI and a double. Adam Stanclift ’13 (Chesterfield, NH) fanned two in an inning of relief, as did Andrew Keirstead ’10 (Westbrook, ME), who settled in after allowing four runs and five hits.
For UMF, Matt Levine ’11 (Pelham, NH) was 2-3 with a run scored and Shea knocked in three runs in the loss. Connor McNeill ’12 (Portland, ME/Portland) struck out two and allowed four hits in 2.1 innings of relief for the Beavers.
Saint Joseph’s will host Johnson & Wales on Saturday in a conference doubleheader set to begin at 12:00 PM. Farmington will play at Colby College on Wednesday at 4:00 PM.