AUBURNDALE, Fla. – University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg (3-2) edged Saint Joseph's College (2-1), 3-2, in RussMatt Central Florida Invitational play at the Lake Myrtle Complex on Monday morning.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Trailing 2-0 going into the top of the eighth, the Monks managed to tie the game with the help of a Bobcats fielding error. With one out, senior shortstop Max McCoomb (South Berwick, Maine) reached on the miscue and scampered to third when the following batter, senior third baseman Taylor Black (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.) rapped a single. Senior designated hitter Jameson Collins (Sandown, N.H.) plated McCoomb with a sac fly to center and Black later scored on a Dennis Meehan (Gardiner, Maine) singled through the left side.
The stalemate did not last long however, as Ryan Dodson (Bethel Park, Pa.) led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and was lifted in favor of senior pinch runner Jake Bullick (Sharpsville, Pa.), who later scored the eventual winning run on an Ian Hart (Lititz, Pa.) base hit.
SJC sophomore first baseman Noah McDaniel (Eliot, Maine) led off the top of the ninth with a single to left center and was replaced with a pinch runner, freshman Ben Gravel (Rochester, N.H.), who moved to second on a Chris Gerossie (Chester, N.H.) sac bunt, but the tying run was left stranded 180 feet from home plate.
ON THE MOUND:
Saint Joseph's senior starter Nick Malatesta (Wrentham, Mass.) pitched well, allowing two runs off eight hits and a walk with four strikeouts, but did not factor into the decision. Junior reliever Steven Albert (Worcester, Mass.) suffered the loss after giving up a run off two hits with one punch-out in two innings and junior Marc Poirier (Lunenburg, Mass.) yielded a hit with a strikeout in one inning of work.
Pitt.-Greensburg junior starter Bill Minnick (West Mifflin, Pa.) kept the Monks off balance for the better part of the contest, allowing two runs (one earned) off five hits and a walk with three K's over 7.2 innings. Freshman reliever Austin Berger (Canonsburg, Pa.) earned the victory after fanning a pair and allowing one hit in 1.1 innings of relief.
OFF THE BAT – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Black went 2-3 with a run scored and a double and was hit by a pitch
- Senior first baseman Brett Barbati (Melrose, Mass.) went 2-3 with a pair of singles
OFF THE BAT – PITT.-GREENSBURG:
- Designated hitter Chris Common (Trafford, Pa.) went 2-4 with a double and an RBI
- Third baseman Patrick Aul (Pittsburg, Pa.) was 2-3 with a two-bagger and a walk
- Dodson added a pair of singles in four trips to the plate
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
Saint Joseph's is now 1-1 in the history of the matchup with Pitt.-Greensburg. The Monks and Bobcats first met on February 28th, 2015 when SJC defeated UPG, 8-3, in Fayetteville, N.C.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will face Coe College tomorrow in a single nine-inning game slated to start at 1:00 PM.
#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.
