STANDISH, ME - The Saint Joseph's and Gordon College baseball teams clashed on the diamond in a fall baseball triple-header on September 25th, but the clubs united for a worthy cause off the field.

For the third consecutive fall, the Monks and Scots faced off for a fall-ball day of games and held a food drive to help stock the shelves with non-perishable items at Catherine's Cupboard, a food pantry in Standish.

This year's food drive was the most successful to date, as players, parents and family members from both teams combined to donate over 500 pounds of food - a total that helped feed 119 local families. 

"Combining our fall baseball games with a food drive for our local food pantry – Catherine's Cupboard – has been a big success over the last three years," adds SJC Head Coach Will Sanborn '86, now in his 19th year as the Monks' skipper. "Each year the tradition grows as families from both programs seem to donate more and more food each year. This has proved to be a great opportunity for our players to give back to the community and help others. We look forward to continuing the tradition next fall."

Following the day's action (the NCAA allows DIII programs to compete against an outside opponent one day, with a maximum of 18 innings, in the non-traditional season), SJC parents and families put on a sizeable feast for both teams to enjoy.

The Monks dominated the Scots between the lines in the three-game set. The Royal Blue outscored the visitors by a 27-4 margin with 13-2, 8-2 and 6-0 victories during the non-traditional season day of games. St. Joe's outhit Gordon, 29-11, and the Monks' promising pitching staff yielded just three earned runs while the defense made two errors in 18 innings of play.

Senior captains Chris Campbell (Rochester, NH), Todd Keneborus (Hollis Center, ME/Cheverus) and Ian Lee (Hampden, ME) led the Monks' offensive efforts with eight hits, 10 runs and nine RBI combined in the fall-ball sweep. In all, 23 position players saw time and nine pitchers tossed two innings apiece against the Scots. Three hurlers - Sean Drake '13 (Lebanon, ME), Joe Gruntkosky '14 (Peabody, MA) and Ryan Minoty '14 (Augusta, ME) - did not allow a hit, while Tyler Laverriere '13 (Biddeford, ME) and Nick Whittaker '14 (Yarmouth, ME) fanned four apiece for the Monks.

Senior shortstop Steve Myhren (Vernon, NJ) and junior outfielder Eric Wolak (Trumbull, CT) notched six of the Scots' 11 hits and combined to score three of their team's four runs on the day.

Saint Joseph's is coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history. The 2010 nine posted a 35-13 (.729) record, captured its second GNAC Championship in three years as a league member, and won three games in the NCAA Tournament last spring. The 2011 team features five returning starters, including right fielder Keneborus, the 2010 GNAC Player of the Year and All-America, and Campbell, a two-time All-GNAC infielder. The SJC pitching staff returns eight, with 2010 GNAC Pitcher of the Year Sam Murray '12 (Walpole, MA) expected to lead the group next spring.

Gordon College posted a 16-20 record in 2010 and returns All-TCCC pitchers Robert Hinckley '12 (Raynham, MA) and John Kanas '13 (East Moriches, NY) from a Scots club that notched a program-record for wins in a season.

The Monks will kick off the 2011 campaign with a spring trip to Winter Haven, Florida during the Saint Joseph's College spring break.