EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – Craig Woodbrey '10 (Gorham, ME) knocked home the winning run with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to lift second-seeded Saint Joseph's (31-10, 11-3 GNAC) past #1 Suffolk University (21-15, 13-1 GNAC), 5-4, in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship on Sunday afternoon.
The Monks trailed 4-0 after five and half innings, but pushed four runs across in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game and proceeded to win the title in dramatic fashion in the ninth. Shortstop Chris Campbell '11 (Rochester, NH) led off the bottom of the ninth with a hustle infield single and was replaced at first with pinch-runner Dan Achorn '12 (Bow, NH), who was moved up a base with a sac bunt by second baseman Mike Burdin '10 (Gardiner, ME). Three batters later, Woodbrey, who entered the game in the top of the eighth as a defensive replacement, delivered a line-drive single to right to plate Achorn, who slide headfirst ahead of the tag at home and was mobbed by the Monks roster in celebration.
Monks reliever Mason Roberge '11 (Franklin, NH) entered the game in the third inning and proceeded to finish the game and improved to 4-0 on the year with the winning decision. The junior right-hander did not yield a run and scattered five hits over 6.2 innings in the victory.
With the title-game win over the defending GNAC Champion Rams, Saint Joseph's earns an automatic qualifier into the NCAA DIII Tournament, which begins on May 19th and will be played at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, CT. For the Monks, winners of two GNAC titles in three years as a conference member, the trip to the NCAA's will be the Monks' fourth overall and third in the last four years.
Rams starter Andrew Babb '11 (Hopkinton, MA) allowed just two hits over the first five frames and finished the game with eight strikeouts in 8.2 innings. The junior southpaw yielded five earned runs off eight hits and eight walks and tossed 143 pitches in the losing effort.
Suffolk jumped on top early, as the Rams scored two runs with a pair of hits off SJC starting pitcher Chad Rafferty '13 (Keene, NH) in the top of the first inning. Rory Gentile '10 (Gloucester, MA) led off the game with a looping double to right and, after an infield groundout, Bobby Barrett '10 (Milton, MA) was intentionally walked to create the force play. Marc Doyle '10 (Whitman, MA) worked an eight-pitch walk to load the bases for Babb, who slapped a two-run single to right, scoring Gentile and Barrett.
Rafferty worked his way out of a jam in the second, as the Rams managed to load the bases with two out but Barrett grounded out to end the scoring threat. The rookie righty wasn't so fortunate in the third, however, as Suffolk doubled its lead with a pair of runs, forcing SJC Head Coach Will Sanborn '86 to call upon Roberge from the bullpen. Babb, who tripled down the right field line and Jhonneris Mendez '13 (Roslindale, MA), after reaching with a walk, scored the Suffolk runs on singles by Mark Annese '11 (Winchester, MA) and Mark Addesa '11 (Revere, MA), respectively.
Roberge held the powerful Rams lineup in check for their next three turns with some heads-up defensive play, which allowed the Monks to knot the game with four runs in the bottom of the sixth.
In the top of the fourth, with runners on first and second and two out, the junior righty used an inside-move to pick off Chris Stanley '13 (Orange County, CA) to end the inning.
Mendez led off the fifth with a single to right and the Rams looked to bunt him into scoring position. The bunt attempt by Annese was popped up in front of home plate, and SJC catcher Travis Adams '10 (Saco, ME) dove to make the catch, but the ball fell out of his glove when he hit the ground. The heady senior receiver jumped up and fired a strike to second to start the rare 2-6-3 double play and Roberge induced a groundout to end the frame with the 4-0 deficit intact.
St. Joe's loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth with walks, but was unable to push a run across until the following frame, when the Royal Blue scored four two-out runs off four hits and a pair of walks. SJC third baseman Mike Pratt '13 (Dartmouth, MA) broke the seal with a two-run single to left, scoring Todd Keneborus '11 (Hollis Center, ME/Cheverus) and Ian Lee '11 (Hampden, ME). Campbell tied the game with a two-RBI double to left-center after pinch-hitter Eric LaBatte '11 (Rochester, NH) kept the inning alive with a single up the middle.
After a scoreless seventh, Gentile reached on an infield miscue with two out and promptly stole second base. The Suffolk speedster then attempted to steal third, but the wily Roberge noticed his jump and picked him off to end the inning with the middle of the Rams lineup looming.
Both teams took scoreless turns at the plate, setting up the thrilling finish for the Monks in the bottom of the ninth. With runners on first and second and one out, Ben Grant-Roy '10 (Biddeford, ME) hit a line drive up the middle that was snared by Addesa, the Suffolk shortstop, who had seemingly just ended the inning with a double play after flipping the ball to Stanley at second, but the first-year Rams infielder muffed the catch as Achorn slid back in safely to keep the inning going.
Grant-Roy was named as the GNAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, while Sam Murray '12 (Walpole, MA), Roberge and Adams all garnered All-Tournament honors. Murray earned a complete-game victory over the Rams in Saturday's winners-bracket contest.
Babb, Barrett and pitcher Matt Sliney '13 (Brockton, MA) collected All-Tournament Team honors for the Rams.
Campbell was the lone repeat-hitter for the Monks and went 2-4 with two RBI in the triumph. Pratt registered two RBI and Keneborus reached base four times with three walks and a HBP.
Stanley, Babb and Mendez all recorded two hits in the losing effort for Suffolk.
The Monks, winners of their last 11 games and 22-3 since April 1st, seem to be peaking at the right time after a somewhat sluggish start to the 2010 campaign. St. Joe's entered its first conference weekend on March 27th with a 6-6 overall record, with all six losses being one-run defeats. Also of note, the Monks' 10 losses this spring have been by a combined 21 runs.
The title-clinching victory also pushes Coach Sanborn past former SJC Men's Basketball coach Rick Simonds as the winningest single-sport skipper in Saint Joseph's College Athletics history. Sanborn, in his 18th season as the Monks' manager, is 467-270-6 (.634) in his career and ranks as the most successful leader in program history. Simonds, who also coaches softball for one season, amassed 504 victories in his esteemed coaching career.
The Monks will wrap up the 2010 regular-season docket when they host Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Thursday in a non-league doubleheader at 3:30 PM. Suffolk will host Wheaton College on Saturday at 12:00 PM.
