PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Top-seeded Saint Joseph's College (24-13) fell into the losers' bracket of the 2016 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Baseball Tournament with a 10-0 loss at the hands of #2 Suffolk University (32-10) early Saturday afternoon but remained in contention by defeating #3 Lasell College (21-17), 2-0, in a must-win scenario in the tourney's final game of the day at Scots Miracle-Gro Complex on the Johnson & Wales campus.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Monks' quest for winning the program's seventh GNAC Championship and avenging last season's early exit from the tourney will not be an easy one, as Saint Joseph's must defeat reigning GNAC champ Suffolk twice tomorrow to claim the crown. The Rams head into the tournament's final day having used just three pitchers in two playoff wins combined, as Suffolk benefited from extended outings from their starters in both contests.

The GNAC Championship begins tomorrow at 12:00 PM and the if-necessary game – should the Monks force one - would begin approximately 30 minutes after the completion of the first contest.

For Lasell, the loss signals the end of the 2016 campaign, save for a potential ECAC Tournament berth. The Lasers enjoyed a lengthy playoff run with a 10-4 win over #6 Rivier University on Tuesday, a 7-4 loss to Suffolk on Thursday, and a walk-off 5-4 win over tournament host Johnson & Wales University in this morning's losers' bracket match-up before falling to Saint Joseph's this evening.

GNAC TOURNAMENT GAME #6: SUFFOLK 10, SAINT JOSEPH'S 0

HOW IT HAPPENED

As it played out, Suffolk produced all the offense starting pitcher Kyle Turner (Nashua, N.H.) would require when the Rams plated two runs off one hit and an SJC error in the top of the third. For good measure, Suffolk tacked on a single run in the fourth and put the game out of reach with five runs off four hits in the fifth and sixth frames combined.

The Monks were unable to mount a serious scoring threat in the setback as just two baserunners reached third base and double play balls ended potential rallies in the third and seventh innings.

PITCHERS OF RECORD

• SJC freshman Grayson Jennings (Bedford, N.H.) fell to 3-2 on the season after allowing six runs (four earned) off four hits and three walks with three K's over five innings
• Junior Thomas Fortier (Falmouth, Maine) worked a clean inning with one strikeout in relief
• Sophomores Marc Poirier (Lunenburg, Mass.), Philip LeVangie (Hanover, Mass.), and Daniel Marini (Nahant, Mass.) combined to allow four runs off five hits and two walks in three innings of work
• Turner upped his record to 4-2 with the complete-game shutout performance, as the senior right-hander scattered six hits with one walk and six punch outs over nine frames

SJC HIGHLIGHTS

• Junior third baseman Taylor Black (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.) and senior left fielder Taylor Reuillard (Biddeford, Maine) both doubled in the setback

SUFFOLK HIGHLIGHTS

• Sophomore center fielder Brady Chant was 2-4 with a double and two runs
• Junior designated hitter Kevin Belskie (Norristown, Pa.) went 2-3 with a run
• Junior catcher Matt Brenner (Eliot, Maine) added two runs and two RBI

NOTEWORTHY

The loss to the Rams counts as the first conference tourney shutout setback suffered by the Monks since 2005…the losing deficit is also the largest in tournament play over the last 11 years…St. Joe's is now 34-6 in conference tournament games since 2005.

GNAC TOURNAMENT GAME #7: SAINT JOSEPH'S 2, LASELL 0

HOW IT HAPPENED

Saint Joseph's sophomore starter Travis Godbout (Portland, Maine) and senior closer Corey McNamara (West Newbury, Mass.) effectively kept the Monks' championship hopes alive by tossing nine shutout innings of three-hit ball with nine strikeouts in the win-or-go-home contest.

Lasell senior starter Jake Malone (Harwich, Mass.) matched Godbout pitch for pitch with six shutout innings before giving way to junior reliever Casey Johnson (Windsor, Conn.), who allowed two runs off three hits and a walk in two frames. The SJC bats finally came to life in the seventh – after going 18 innings without a run – when senior catcher Nic Lops (South Portland, Maine/Cheverus) and junior designated hitter Jameson Collins (Sandown, N.H.) produced run-scoring singles.

PITCHERS OF RECORD

• Godbout improves to 6-1 on the year after allowing just two hits and a pair of walks with five strikeouts in seven innings
• McNamara picked up his seventh save of the season after giving up one hit and a walk with four K's over two frames
• For Lasell, Malone scattered five hits with five walks and three punchouts over six innings while Johnson dropped to 4-3 on the year and sophomore Josh Bahnick (Clinton, Mass.) tossed a perfect ninth

SJC HIGHLIGHTS

• Lops was 2-4 with an RBI
• Collins went 2-3 with an RBI
• Junior shortstop Max McCoomb (South Berwick, Maine) added two hits in four at-bats
• Black reached base twice with a pair of walks

LASELL HIGHLIGHTS

• Junior shortstop Hector Coscione (Newton, Mass.), senior third baseman Tyler Flaherty (Portland, Maine/Cheverus), and sophomore first baseman Dom Mascolo (Waterbury, Conn.) accounted for the Lasers' three hits – all singles

#GOMONKS

Follow Saint Joseph's Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram!

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 474-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.