Huskies Slug Past Monks, 16-2

Huskies Slug Past Monks, 16-2

STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's (14-9, 4-2 GNAC) suffered a 16-2 defeat at the hands of #24 University of Southern Maine (16-3, 2-0 LEC) in a non-conference baseball contest on Tuesday afternoon.

Saint Joseph's senior right-hander Chad Rafferty (Keene, N.H.) started on the mound and went 5.0 innings.  Rafferty gave up 11 runs on nine hits while striking out three and was tagged with the loss.  He is now 2-2 on the year.

Southern Maine hit four triples and stole eight bases on the day.  Senior Nick Grady (Whitefield, Maine) went 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs and extended his hitting streak to 16 games. Senior Tucker White (Deerfield, N.H.) went 2-for-3 with a triple, double, four runs scored and two RBI, and junior Matt Verrier (Norway, Maine/Oxford Hills) was a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI and two runs scored. Junior Troy Thibodeau (Danvers, Mass.) finished 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBI and two runs scored, and freshman Sam Dexter (Oakland, Maine) added two singles.

Sophomore right-hander Andrew Richards (South Portland, Maine) pitched 2.2 innings of relief giving up no runs on three hits to earn his second win of the season.  Southern Maine freshman Shyler Scates (Jefferson, Maine) started and pitched 4.1 solid innings giving up two runs — one earned — on two hits while striking out two before being relieved by Richards.

The Huskies plated three runs in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead.  Thibodeau drove in the Huskies first run on a RBI single to right center that scored Grady, and Verrier later scored when freshman Nick DiBiase (Portland, Maine/Deering) reached on a fielder's choice.  Thibodeau then scored on a double steal with DiBiase to make it 3-0.

Southern Maine added three more runs in the third on RBI triples by White and Bernard, and a sacrifice fly off that bat of Verrier.

The Monks responded by scoring two runs in the fourth inning.  Freshman Tim Beaudette (Uxbridge, Mass.) singled to lead off the inning, and later scored when sophomore Joe Coyne (Duxbury, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice.  Senior Mike Pratt (Dartmouth, Mass.) lifted a sacrifice fly to center that brought home freshman Zack Graham (Marlborough, Mass.) to score the Monks' second run and cut the Huskies' lead to 6-2.

Southern Maine answered St. Joe's two-run inning with five more runs in the fifth, and scored two in the sixth and three in the seventh to extend their lead to 16-2.

Saint Joseph's looks to get back on track tomorrow when the Monks play host to GNAC-rival Norwich University in a conference twinbill slated to start at 2:00 PM. USM hosts Colby College in a non-conference tilt tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 PM.

 

COURTESY OF USM SPORTS INFORMATION

 

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.