AUBURNDALE, FL – Saint Joseph's (2-2) split a twinbill with Franklin & Marshall College (PA) (3-5) on Monday. The Monks defeated the Diplomats, 7-6, in the opener before falling, 12-8, in the nightcap. Sophomore first baseman Mike Pratt (Dartmouth, MA) went 4-7 with two runs, two doubles, and four RBI in the two-game set.
After a sluggish start to the Florida trip – the Monks registered just six hits in a doubleheader against Curry College on Sunday – the SJC bats came around with 20 total hits, including five doubles, on day two. St. Joe's also stole six bases and fanned just twice, after whiffing 14 times yesterday, on the day.
GAME ONE
Nate Martin '13 (Chebeague Island, ME) singlehandedly put the Royal Blue up by a run in the team's first turn at bat. The fleet-afoot center fielder reached with a single, stole second, moved up to third on a passed ball, and scored on yet another passed ball.
The Diplomats managed to push a run across off Monks pitcher Tyler Laverriere '13 (Biddeford, ME), making his first collegiate start, in the bottom of the first to knot the game at one-apiece.
St. Joe's responded with three runs in the top of the third to collect a 4-1 cushion. Shortstop Dan Achorn '12 (Bow, NH) led off the frame with a single and later scored on a Chris Campbell '11 (Rochester, NH) base knock. Martin, who walked, touched the plate after a Todd Keneborus '11 (Hollis Center, ME/Cheverus) sac fly to right and left fielder Sam Butts (Saco, ME), who reached with a sharply-hit single, scored on a sac fly hit by Ian Lee '11 (Hampden, ME) to make it a three-run game.
Freshman designated hitter Alex Lorenc (Nanuet, NY) led off the fourth with his first NCAA hit, a single through the left side, and later scored on a Martin base hit up the middle to put the Monks on top by a 5-1 margin.
Laverriere motored through the Diplomats lineup until the bottom of the fourth when the first four F & M batters reached. The second-year righty was lifted in favor of junior submariner Andrew Devereaux (Hope Valley, RI) with the bases loaded and nobody out.
Devereaux did his best to minimize the damage, but the Diplomats managed to plate four runs during the frame and carried a 6-5 edge through four innings.
Saint Joseph's quickly regained the lead, however, as Lorenc notched an RBI single and Pratt scored on a wild pitch to make it a 7-6 game.
Devereaux allowed one hit and fanned three in 2.2 innings to earn his first NCAA victory and Chris Dion '11 (Lawrence, MA), who entered the game with two out in the sixth, registered the third save of his career with 1.1 innings of no-hit relief.
Martin, Butts, Pratt and Lorenc all had two hits in the triumph. Martin also swiped two bags in the opener.
GAME TWO
With the help of a three-run double by Pratt, the Monks held a 4-1 lead after a four-run first inning in the nightcap. The lead evaporated quickly, however, as SJC hurler Joe Gruntkosky '14 (Peabody, MA) fell victim to some shoddy defense and a lack of control in his first collegiate nod.
Gruntkosky, who forced the Diplomats to strand runners on second in third in the first inning, received little help in the fourth as F & M scored four runs off three hits and a pair of SJC miscues. As a result, the freshman right-hander was replaced by sophomore righty Sean Drake (Lebanon, NH), who froze the first batter he faced with an outside fastball, and strike three, to end the inning.
The SJC deficit stood at 5-4 until the fourth inning when the Diplomats tacked on another three runs off four hits, a series of events that knocked Drake out of the game. Fellow sophomore Jimmy Kennedy (York, ME) entered the tilt with one out and escaped the inning unscathed.
The relentless Monks went on to add two runs off two hits in the bottom of the fourth to make it an 8-6 game. Alex Markakis '14 (Lynnfield, MA) led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Kyle Neagle '12 (Lisbon Falls, ME), who scored on a Lorenc groundout to second base. Shortstop Matt Consigli '14 (Northbridge, MA), who recorded his first college hit – a single – in the second inning, laced a double to right to plate Butts, who reached earlier with a base hit up the middle.
Franklin & Marshall, which recorded 13 hits in game two, managed to dash the Monks' hopes of a comeback bid by scoring at least one run in the final three innings and carried a 12-6 cushion into the seventh frame. St. Joe's scored two runs off RBI doubles by Pratt and Lee in the bottom of the seventh but would have to settle for a split for the second consecutive day.
Consigli, Keneborus, Pratt and Butts all registered two hits in the nightcap. Kennedy, who allowed one run on one hit and fanned two in 1.2 innings, suffered the loss.
In all, 24 Saint Joseph's players appeared in the second game, which lasted two hours and forty-five minutes.
Saint Joseph's will face Keene State College at 9:30 AM in a nine-inning tilt at Webber International University.
Postgame interview with Chris Campbell:
