STANDISH, Maine - #19/24 Saint Joseph's College (23-4, 6-0 GNAC) topped Bates College (11-6, 6-0 NESCAC), 4-1, in a non-conference baseball contest at Larry Mahaney Diamond on Wednesday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
With the help of well-executed small ball, Saint Joseph's broke a scoreless tie with three runs off four hits in the bottom of the third. Senior second baseman Nick Petchell (Milton, Mass.) led off with a single and three batters later, after sophomore shortstop Joey Murphy (Derry, N.H.) and freshman right fielder Adam Twitchell (Shrewsbury, Mass.) reached with bunt singles, sophomore center fielder Jared Gagne (Dover, N.H.) put the hosts on the board with a sac fly to left field. Senior designated hitter Jameson Collins (Sandown, N.H.) doubled the Monks' lead with a sac fly, scoring Murphy, and sophomore first baseman Noah McDaniel (Eliot, Maine) capped the third with an RBI double to right-center.
The Monks tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, when senior third baseman Taylor Black (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.) singled and scored on a Collins double to deep right-center.
Bates found the board with a run off three hits in the seventh, when senior center fielder Ryan McCarthy (Plaistow, N.H.) plated junior shortstop Asher MacDonald (Hillsborough, N.C.) with a single to right field.
ON THE MOUND:
SJC starter Aaron Hall (Haverhill, Mass.) pitched well, allowing three hits with three strikeouts in four innings before giving way to junior righthander Steven Albert (Worcester, Mass.), who picked up the win and improved to 2-0 on the season after yielding a run off six hits and a walk with three punch-outs in three innings. Junior southpaw Josh Partridge (Deerfield, N.H.) earned his fourth save of the season after fanning four batters in two perfect innings of relief.
Bates freshman starter Nolan Collins (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) suffered the loss, and falls to 0-2 on the year, after giving up four runs off six hits and two walks with a pair of K's in 4.2 innings. Relievers Matt Doyle (Northborough, Mass.), Brendan Smith (Hingham, Mass.), and Miles Michaud (Madison, Conn.) combined to toss 3.1 innings of no-hit relief with two walks, three hit batsmen, and a pair of strikeouts.
OFF THE BAT – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Collins was 1-3 with a double, a sac fly, and two RBI
- Black went 1-2 with a run and a walk and tied the Monks' career hit by pitch record when he was plunked by an errant Collins offering in the bottom of the third, marking the 40th time he has taken one for the team – tying former teammate Alex Lorenc '14 atop the HBP list
- McDaniel doubled and was 1-3 with an RBI
- Twitchell went 1-4 with a run and a stolen base
OFF THE BAT – BATES:
- Freshman catcher Jack Arend (Newfields, N.H.) went 2-3 with a double
- MacDonald was 2-4 with a run scored
- Senior first baseman Brendon Canavan (Carlisle, Mass.) and sophomore designated hitter Dan Trulli (Melrose, Mass.) both went 2-4 in the losing effort
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the win, Saint Joseph's improves to 34-14 in the history of the series with Bates College and has now defeated the Bobcats in three-consecutive meetings.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's hosts UMass.-Boston tomorrow in a single nine-inning game starting at 4:00 PM while Bates is back in action Friday and Saturday with three NESCAC contests at home versus Trinity College.
#GOMONKS
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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.
