ELOISE, FL – Webster University (5-5) blanked #9 Saint Joseph's College (6-1), 5-0, in a RussMatt Central Florida Invitational contest on Thursday afternoon.
All five of the Gorloks' runs were unearned as the Monks committed five errors in the team's first loss of the 2013 season. Hard-luck starting pitcher Tyler Laverriere (Biddeford, Maine) suffered the setback after allowing five runs off six hits and four walks with five strikeouts in the loss to Webster, a team that was ranked 10th in the 2013 NCBWA/D3baseball.com Preseason Poll after going 36-14 overall and advancing to the NCAA DIII World Series in 2012.
For Saint Joseph's, senior first baseman Mike Pratt (Dartmouth, Mass.) was 2-4 and senior second sacker Brandon Chase (Naples, Maine) went 2-3 in the losing effort. Senior shortstop David Nieves (York, Maine) posted his first hit with the Monks – a single through the left side in the top of the third – and freshman Tim Beaudette (Uxbridge, Mass.) added his first NCAA hit – an infield single in the eighth – in the loss.
Sophomore lefthander Dan Meeken (Marshfield, Mass.) fanned one batter in a perfect inning of relief. Saint Joseph's stranded 10 baserunners on the afternoon.
For Webster, senior pitcher Cody Hafeli (Marian, Ill.) allowed seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts in a complete-game victory. Senior center fielder Cody Stevenson (Salem, Ill.) went 2-3 with three runs scored and a pair of stolen bases and junior left fielder Corey Lasky (Vernon Hills, Ill.) was 2-4 with a run and an RBI for the Gorloks.
Webster plated a pair in the first off two hits and a Saint Joseph's error. Lasky plated Stevenson with a single and later scored on a Ryan Hall (Chesterfield, Mo.) groundout to third base to lift the Gorloks to a 2-0 lead.
The Gorloks doubled their advantage in the fifth with the help of two SJC miscues, as Mitchell Bonds (Decatur, Ill.) and Stevenson crossed the plate with unearned runs to make it a 4-0 game.
Stevenson scored his third run of the contest in the seventh when he led off with a walk, stole second and scored on the Monks' second double play of the afternoon to cap the game scoring.
Saint Joseph's threatened late as the Royal Blue had the bases loaded with two out in the top of the ninth, but Hafeli fanned freshman outfielder Taylor Reuillard (Biddeford, Maine) to end the threat and the contest.
St. Joe's concludes the 2013 Spring Trip with a doubleheader versus UMass.-Boston tomorrow. The twinbill begins at 1:00 PM in Frostproof, Florida.
Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 350-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
