HARWICH, MA - #5 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (27-14) outlasted #6 Saint Joseph's College (30-15), 4-3, in an NCAA DIII New England Baseball Tournament losers' bracket contest at Whitehouse Field on Friday night. The hard-fought loss signals the end of the 2014 campaign for the Monks.

MIT, which came into Thursday 0-for-7 all-time in the national baseball playoffs in three previous appearances, has run its streak to three straight victories in the losers' bracket and will face #4 Endicott College at 12:00 PM on Saturday. The MIT/Endicott winner faces University of Southern Maine, undefeated in regional play thus far, at 4:30 PM Saturday. The 'if necessary' contest would take place Sunday at 12:00 PM.

The Monks, who are making their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance since 2006, end their season at 30-15 to complete their fifth consecutive 30-win campaign.

The loss brings an end to collegiate baseball for the Monks' senior class: Alex Lorenc (Nanuet, N.Y.), Louie Vigars (Stratham, N.H.), Alex Markakis (Lynnfield, Mass.), Nick Whittaker (Yarmouth, Maine), Joe Gruntkosky (Peabody, Mass.), Jack Reilly (Worcester, Mass.), Chris Bryant (Gray, Maine), Shayne Curtis (New Gloucester, Maine) and Willie Brown (Fayette, Maine). The 2014 graduating class helped Saint Joseph's post a 132-51 (.721) record – including a 50-10 (.833) mark in conference play – with GNAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in each of the last four seasons.

MIT started off the contest with the early 1-0 advantage as Tew and junior Carl Sorensen (Blacksburg, Va.) tag teamed the first score with two men down. Tew doubled to start off the rally and moved up 90 feet on a solo knock by junior Phil Reiser (Alpharetta, Ga.) before Sorensen notched an RBI single through the right side.

Saint Joseph's answered in the bottom of the third when freshman Brett Barbati (Melrose, Mass.) launched the opening pitch of the inning for his first collegiate homer over the fence in left field which tied up the score at 1-1.

Over the middle frames, the Monks were paced by sophomore Alex Valenti (Lawrence, Mass.) retired 12 of 13 batters he faced from the third through the sixth inning before he ran into trouble in the seventh. Parent matched the effort by stranding four on base – including two in scoring position.

After sophomore Nate Rodman (Corvallis, Ore.) laced a single to center, Tew broke the stalemate by smashing his third home run of the season for the 3-1 edge.

The Engineers tacked on a key insurance tally in the same inning when senior Patrick Dayton (Archer City, Texas) had solid pinch-hit appearance by putting in play a fielder's choice plated run to drive in Reiser.

In the bottom of the eighth, Saint Joseph's got a run back when junior Nic Lops (S. Portland, Maine) registered a sacrifice fly to score freshman Max McCoomb (S. Berwick, Maine), who reached on a misplayed ball by the second baseman to start off the stanza.  

Down 4-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Monks made one final push. Sophomore Taylor Reuillard (Biddeford, Maine) and Markakis singled before moving up one base on a sacrifice.

Following a walk by freshman Taylor Black (Cardiff By The Sea, Calif.) to juice the bases, Vigars lined a two-out infield single to plate Reuillard. But MIT senior Rob Bertucci (Bellville, Ill.) retired the final batter on a fly to right to end the game.

Parent (4-3) scattered eight hits over eight-plus innings of work while permitting three runs (two earned) to go with one walk and a trio of punch outs. Despite allowing an inherited runner to score, Bertucci notched his fifth save for a scoreless ninth.

Valenti (4-3) was tagged with the setback for the Monks. He surrendered four earned runs on six hits while he fanned six and issued one free pass. Sophomore Corey McNamara (W. Newbury, Mass.) gave up an insurance RBI in the seventh, but hurled perfect eighth and ninth innings to keep the Engineer offense at bay.

Saint Joseph's outhit the Scarlet and Gray, 10-7, as Markakis went 3-for-4 to pace Monks. Barbati also had two base-knocks in the losing effort.

Rodman, Tew and Sorensen all notched a pair of hits to lead the bottom of the line-up for MIT.

THANKS IN LARGE PART TO ECAC SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE

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.