JERSEY CITY, NJ – Kevin Chamberlain '11 (Scarborough, ME) pitched the Monks (6-7) to a 3-1 victory over New Jersey City University (2-11) with nine strikeouts and four hits allowed in a brilliant nine-inning performance on Sunday afternoon. The triumph caps a three-game weekend series sweep over the Gothic Knights.
Saint Joseph's won its fourth straight game and leads the three-year all-time series, 7-1. NJCU lost its eighth straight. St. Joe's, which was outhit by New Jersey City 23-17 in the first two games of the series, had an 11-4 hit advantage in Sunday's victory.
Chamberlain won his first game of the season (1-0) by tossing a complete-game, 131-pitch, nine-inning performance, allowing no earned runs (one total) and four hits with nine strikeouts and three walks.
The nine-inning complete game effort by Chamberlain is the Monks' first since Andrew Keirstead '10 went the distance in a GNAC Tournament quarterfinal win over Suffolk University on April 24th, 2008.
Senior right fielder Todd Keneborus (Hollis Center, ME) finished the three-game series a combined 7-for-10, going 2-for-4 in the win. Sophomore first baseman Mike Pratt (Dartmouth, MA) was 3-for-3 and senior third baseman Chris Campbell (Rochester, NH) finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
In defeat (1-2), NJCU sophomore righty WENDELL RODRIGUEZ (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) had an outstanding performance. He was extremely accurate and efficient, striking out four without allowing a walk, while being charged with three runs and 11 hits over 109 pitches. Overall, 47 of his first 60 pitches and 81 of 109 were strikes.
Offensively for NJCU, no player had multiple hits but junior left fielder ROB GONZALEZ (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) was 1-for-4 with an RBI and his 137th career hit and senior center fielder KEN WITTE (Wantage, NJ/High Point Regional) had two steals, batting 1-for-3.
NJCU had a chance to strike first in the second inning when Witte had an infield double that fell between the pitcher and third baseman and the Knights had two runners on with one out before a strikeout and liner ended the threat.
The Monks snapped a scoreless game in the top of the fifth as senior catcher Ian Lee (Hampden, ME) led off with a single before coming home on an RBI single to center by Campbell.
NJCU tied it in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore third baseman BRIAN BUSTILLO (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) reached on a one-out error moved to third on a single to right center by junior second baseman CHRISTOPHER MIRABILE (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan), before tying the game on an RBI single through the left side by Gonzalez. With the go-ahead run on second base and one out, a fly out and a strikeout kept it tied at 1-1.
Defensively, each team had a sixth-inning double play to keep it knotted at 1-1 before solid pitching by Rodriguez and Chamberlain retired the sides in order in the seventh and eighth innings.
The Monks scored twice in the top of the ninth. On a cold but very sunny day in Jersey City, freshman designated hitter Alex Lorenc (Nanuet, NY) hit a leadoff bloop single to center field that was catchable but lost in the sun before moving to second on a sac bunt. Junior shortstop Dan Achorn (Bow, NH) contributed an RBI single to right center for the go-ahead run. Achorn scored the third run on an RBI single by sophomore center fielder Nate Martin (Chebeague Island, ME) before Chamberlain retired the Knights 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth to seal it.
The victory over the Gothic Knights is the 100th overall for the 2011 senior class. In three-plus campaigns, Chamberlain, Campbell, Keneborus, Lee, Chris Dion (Lawrence, MA) and Mason Roberge (Franklin, NH) have helped the Royal Blue post a 100-51 (.662) record.
THE Monks pitching staff carried much of the load during the four wins over the weekend trip (three over NJCU and one over Roger Williams). Six pitchers combined to registered a solid 2.91 ERA with 26 K's and eight walks over 34 innings while opponents hit .254 (34-134) over the four non-league games.
NJCU will seek to return to the win column when it returns to action on Tuesday, March 29 (3:30 p.m.) in a road non-conference game against John Jay College. Saint Joseph's hosts 2010 NCAA DIII New England Regional champion UMASS-Boston on Wednesday at 3:30 PM.
COURTESY OF NJCU SPORTS INFORMATION
