STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's College (28-13, 11-3 GNAC) outlasted Endicott College (30-14, 11-3 CCC), 3-2, in what was the final NCAA Tournament tune-up for both regional-bound programs at Larry Mahaney Diamond on Thursday afternoon.
Saint Joseph's staked a 3-0 lead with single runs in the first, third and fourth innings but Endicott rebounded with a run in the fifth and another in the ninth to set the stage for a memorable finish. With two out and sophomore Josh Drew (Intervale, N.H.) at second base, freshman center fielder Cam Farnham (Andover, Mass.) slapped an 0-2 offering to right field. Drew raced around third looking to score the tying run, but Monks' senior right fielder Alex Lorenc (Nanuet, N.Y.), who hustled quite a distance to his left to field the base hit, scooped up the ball and fired a one-hop strike to home plate, where junior catcher Joe Coyne (Duxbury, Mass.) applied the tag on Drew for the final out of the game.
Monks' senior pitcher Nick Whittaker (Yarmouth, Maine) finished what he started, improving to 6-2 on the year after allowing two runs (one earned) off eight hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in a complete-game effort. Coyne belted his team-leading fourth home run of the season and junior first baseman Nic Lops (South Portland, Maine/Cheverus) was 2-4 with an RBI in the victory.
Farnham paced the Gulls' offensively by recording four singles in five at bats while freshman third baseman Mike Kochiss (Fairfield, Conn.) and sophomore shortstop Cody Hall (Rutland, Mass.) both doubled in the losing effort. Endicott starter Luke Morse (Westford, Mass.) was hit with the loss after yielding three runs off seven hits with a strikeout in four innings while sophomore right-hander Davarn Nova (Wareham, Mass.) allowed a hit and a walk over four frames of very effective relief for the visitors.
The Monks found the scoreboard with a run off three hits in the bottom of the first. Freshman shortstop Max McCoomb (South Berwick, Maine) ignited the offense with a base hit up the middle, moved to second on a sac bunt by Louie Vigars (Stratham, N.H.), and crossed the plate after Lorenc and Lops rapped consecutive singles, lifting the hosts to an early 1-0 edge.
Freshman second baseman Taylor Black (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.) opened the bottom half of the third with a double to deep right center and scored two batters later when Vigars lined a single to right field. Coyne opened the bottom of the fourth by hitting a line-drive shot just beyond the left field wall, extending the Monks' advantage to 3-0.
The Gulls took advantage of an SJC miscue to get on the board in the top of the fifth. Junior catcher Chase Sullivan (Cumberland, R.I.) reached on an infield throwing error to lead off the frame, jumped into scoring position when Corbin Hyde (Lewiston, Maine) grounded out to Whittaker, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Hall doubled to right-center. Farnham followed with an infield single and Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases with one out, but Whittaker managed to avoid further damage by inducing a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of senior first baseman Brett Holmgren (Middleboro, Mass.).
Three scoreless frames ensued as both Whittaker and Nova faced the minimum in the seventh and eighth innings, but the former ran into some trouble in the top of the ninth. Kochiss led off the closing inning with a hustle double to left center and promptly scored when the following batter, pinch hitter Taylor English (Barre, Vt.) roped a single through the right side, cutting the hosts' advantage to 3-2. English was cancelled out at second when Drew, pinch hitting for Sullivan, grounded into a fielder's choice and Drew jogged to second when Hyde earned a nine-pitch walk, setting up the scenario for the game-ending play at home plate.
Both teams have earned automatic berths into the 2014 NCAA DIII Baseball Tournament by way of conference tournament championships. Saint Joseph's defeated Suffolk University, 4-1, in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship on April 27th and Endicott topped Western New England University in a best of three series championship earlier this week.
The Monks will be making their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance when regional play begins on Wednesday. The Gulls, who advanced all the way to the New England Regional Championship last spring, have earned their sixth national tourney berth. Both programs figure to participate in the New England Regional, which will again be played at Whitehouse Field in Harwich, Massachusetts. The complete tournament bracket will be announced on Monday morning.
Follow Saint Joseph's Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!
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 430-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.
