STANDISH, ME - The Saint Joseph's College and UMass.-Dartmouth baseball programs came together to support a worthy cause on Saturday, September 22nd.
The New England Region counterparts faced off on the diamond for the first time during the non-traditional fall baseball season with a pair of nine-inning games that day. More importantly, both teams worked together to hold a food drive to help stock the shelves with non-perishable items at Catherine's Cupboard, a food pantry in Standish.
This is the fourth time St. Joe's has paired a food drive with its non-traditional day of games. The Monks played Gordon College, and contributed food items to Catherine's Cupboard, in each of the last four years. Players, coaches, parents and family members from both teams chipped in to help make this year's event the most successful to date.
"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 four years," adds SJC Head Coach Will Sanborn '86, now in his 21st year as the Monks' skipper. "Each year the tradition grows and this year was a huge success thanks to our players and families and especially the UMass.-Dartmouth players. This has proved to be a great opportunity for our players to give back to the community and help others and we look forward to continuing the tradition next fall."
Following the games, the Saint Josephs' parents and family members offered an impressive feast for both teams to enjoy.
On the field, Saint Joseph's prevailed with a 17-3 triumph in the opener and the teams dueled to a 3-3 tie in the nightcap.
The Monks fell behind early in the opener, as senior pitcher Chad Rafferty (Keene, N.H.) easily retired the Corsairs' first two batters on infield ground balls but went on to surrender three runs off four consecutive doubles. Sophomore left fielder Alex Newton (Saco, Maine) started the two-bagger parade and catcher Matt Worden (New Bedford, Mass.), first baseman Ryan Medeiros (Acushnet, Mass.) and third baseman Tyler White (Westport, Mass.) all rapped RBI doubles to put the hosts in a 3-0 hole after the top of the first.
Sophomore catcher Joe Coyne (Duxbury, Mass.) cut the Corsairs' lead down to 3-2 with a two-run double, scoring Louie Vigars (Stratham, N.H.) and Sam Butts (Saco, Maine), in the bottom of the third.
The St. Joe's offense exploded with nine runs off nine hits in the bottom of the fifth to claim control of the contest. Butts and left fielder Alex Markakis (Lynnfield, Mass.) both connected for two-run homers and Coyne plated a pair with a single to help the Royal Blue secure an 11-3 lead.
The offensive barrage continued for Saint Joseph's, as the hosts proceeded to tack on three runs in sixth and seventh frames to jump out to a 17-3 cushion. Junior designated hitter Alex Lorenc (Nanuet, N.Y.) drove in two with a double in the sixth and Coyne rapped an RBI two-bagger in the seventh for the hosts.
Sophomore southpaw Steve Carlberg (Dover, N.H.) earned the winning decision after tossing two scoreless innings with two hits allowed and a pair of strikeouts. Freshmen hurlers Corey McNamara (West Newbury, Mass.) and Riley Cox (Westford, Mass.) combined to toss three shutout innings and close out the contest.
Coyne propelled the Monks' lineup by going 5-6 with three runs, two doubles and five RBI while Vigars, Lorenc, Brandon Chase (Naples, Maine) and Mike Pratt (Dartmouth, Mass.) notched three hits apiece and Butts, Markakis and Nic Lops (South Portland, Maine/Cheverus) all registered two-hit efforts.
For the Corsairs, Medeiros went 3-4 while Worden and White contributed two hits apiece in the losing effort. Sophomore left-hander Josh Rebello (Acushnet, Mass.) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs off six hits and a walk in 0.2 innings. Rich Budion (Brewster, Mass.) worked a perfect fourth and Aaron Brunette (North Andover, Mass.) closed out the game with two scoreless innings.
The first game was a slugfest but the nightcap proved to be a pitchers' duel, as 10 pitchers – five for both clubs – combined to allow six runs off 13 total hits in a 3-3 deadlock. If it were springtime, the teams would have played until a winner was determined, but NCAA DIII programs are limited to 18 innings versus outside competition during the non-traditional season, so the game had to be called after nine innings.
SJC starter Joe Gruntkosky (Peabody, Mass.) and UMD lefty Nick Fuller (New Bedford, Mass.) locked heads over the first three frames with nearly identical lines, as the former was perfect with four K's and the latter yielded a hit and a walk with four strikeouts as the game was scoreless heading into the fourth.
The Corsairs would strike first in the top of the fifth when the visitors produced a run off a hit, a Saint Joseph's error and a sacrifice fly. Facing senior Jimmy Kennedy (York, Maine), Jimmy Cranston (East Lyme, Conn.) led off the frame with a double and moved up a base on an outfield error. The following batter, freshman right fielder Brian Clark (Newfields N.H.), plated his teammate with a sac fly to center.
Saint Joseph's went on to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh when junior catcher Willie Brown (Fayette, Maine) drove in Pratt and Markakis with a two-out base hit. The Corsairs knotted the game at 2-2in the top of the eighth when Cory Albanese (Weymouth, Mass.), who reached after being plunked by an errant Nick Whittaker (Yarmouth, Maine) offering, touched the plate on a sacrifice bunt.
UMD secured a 3-2 advantage with one out in the top of the ninth when Worden plated White, who reached via base hit, with a double. In the bottom of the inning, Coyne greeted Corsairs freshman reliever Paul Mahoney (North Andover, Mass.) by belting a solo home run over the left field wall to account for the 3-3 final.
Cranston, who went 2-4 with a run scored, was the lone repeat-hitter in the closing contest.
