IMAGE COURTESY OF ROBYN AYLWARD - BLUE EGG IMAGES
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Saint Joseph's College (4-5) split a doubleheader with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (5-5) in RussMatt Central Florida Invitational baseball action on Saturday. The Engineers captured the first game, 6-3, and the Monks salvaged the split with a 5-4 win in the closing contest.
GAME ONE – WPI 6, Saint Joseph's 3:
The Monks held a 2-0 lead through two-and-a-half, as senior center fielder Chris Gerossie (Chester, N.H.) was hit by a pitch and later scored on an infield error in the first and launched his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left, in the top of the third.
The Engineers tied the game with two runs off three hits in the bottom of the third inning, when junior catcher Austin Lindner (West Windsor, N.J.) posted an RBI single and later scored on an Evan Lacroix (Methuen, Mass.) base hit.
WPI proceeded to claim the lead with three runs off three hits and an SJC miscue in the bottom of the fourth, when freshman right fielder Jordan DeDonato (Danvers, Mass.) roped an RBI single and scored, along with Lindner, on a double off the bat of junior shortstop Steven Gallagher (Coventry, R.I.).
In the bottom of the sixth, Lacroix delivered junior center fielder Ryan Tropeano (Pembroke, Mass.) with a double and St. Joe's tacked on a run in the seventh when freshman third baseman Hunter Richardson (North Monmouth, Maine) reached on a fielder's choice.
ON THE MOUND:
Saint Joseph's senior Josh Partridge (Deerfield, N.H.) suffered the loss after yielding five runs on seven hits and five walks with four K's in five innings and sophomore Troy Bogdahn (Hollis, Maine) allowed a run off one hit in an inning of relief.
WPI senior starter Steven D'Agnostino (Worcester, Mass.) went the distance to pick up the win and fanned six batters while allowing three runs (two earned) off three hits and a walk in seven frames.
OFF THE BAT:
- Gerossie was 1-2 with two runs and a solo home run
- For WPI, Lacroix was 2-3 with a double and two RBI and junior Josh Herlands (Glastonbury, Conn.) went 2-3 with a pair of runs and a double
GAME TWO: Saint Joseph's 5, WPI 4:
Leading 4-1 through four innings, Saint Joseph's saw the lead quickly disappear when WPI sophomore designated hitter David Larson (Port Tobacco, Md.) belted a three-run jack to left-center.
The Monks managed to regain the lead with two out in the bottom of the sixth. Junior shortstop Joey Murphy (Derry, N.H.) reached with a single up the middle and swiped second before scoring on a Ben Gravel (Rochester, N.H.) single down the left field line.
ON THE MOUND:
Sophomore starter Roderick Maynard (Baldwin, Maine) allowed three runs (two earned) off three hits and three walks with five strikeouts in four innings but did not factor into the decision. Sophomore Weston Bergeron (Lyman, Maine) and freshman Kristian Harris (Salem, N.H.) combined to allow one run off three hits and a pair of K's in 1.2 innings of relief and senior Marc Poirier (Lunenburg, Mass.) picked up the win after posting 1.1 innings of scoreless work.
WPI junior starter Doug Rives (Bethany, Conn.) allowed four runs off six hits and three walks with six strikeouts in five innings and sophomore Nick Tagaris (New City, N.Y.) took the loss after giving up one run off four hits in relief.
OFF THE BAT:
- Gerossie belted his second homer of the day, a solo blast in the bottom of the first
- Murphy was 2-3 with two runs, a double, and two stolen bases
- Gravel went 2-4 with a double and two RBI
- Freshman second baseman Dalton Quinn (Lowell, Mass.) was 1-3 with a double and an RBI
- For WPI, Tropeano was 2-4 with a run and a stolen base
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's closes out the southern swing tomorrow with a single nine-inning game versus Westfield State University at 9:00 AM.
#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.