Photo courtesy of Blue Egg Images
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Saint Joseph's College (4-0) tipped DeSales University (3-2), 6-5, in RussMatt Central Florida Invitational baseball action on Wednesday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Bulldogs opened the game scoring with a run in the top of the first, but the Monks responded with five unanswered runs to claim a 5-1 lead through three full frames.
In the bottom of the first, senior shortstop Joey Murphy (Derry, N.H.) singled, stole second, and scored on an infield error and senior left fielder Jared Gagne (Dover, N.H.), who reached on said error, crossed the plate on a Greg Emanuelson (Hudson, N.H.) base hit.
With the bases loaded in the second inning, Murphy reached on an infield error which allowed Anthony DiPrizio (Rochester, N.H.) and Noah McDaniel (Eliot, Maine) to score and Emanuelson walked and came around to score after an outfield miscue in the bottom of the third.
The Monks ran into trouble in the top of the fifth however, as the Bulldogs used a free pass and a hit batsman to their favor en route to scoring three runs on two hits, a bases-loaded walk, and a sac fly.
DeSales managed to tie the game in the sixth, when second baseman Preston Amato (Center Valley, Pa.) punched a two-out single, advanced to second on an error, and scored on a Charlie Barebo (Emmaus, Pa.) base hit.
Saint Joseph's claimed the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth, when McDaniel led off with a walk, moved to second on a Will Martin (Arlington, Mass.) sac bunt, and scored on a Murphy two-bagger to right field.
The Monks' bullpen completely closed the door on the Bulldogs' bats, as junior Weston Bergeron (Lyman, Maine) and sophomore Jonathan Marchia (Chicopee, Mass.) combined to strike out seven of the last nine batters while allowing just one hit over the final three innings.
ON THE MOUND:
For the Monks, Marchia picked up the win after striking out four batters and allowing one hit over two innings. Junior starter Simon Gonzalez (Peabody, Mass.) gave up an unearned run off three hits and three walks with a pair of K's in 2.1 innings, sophomore Kristian Harris (Salem, N.H.) – who pitched well before opening his third inning - allowed three runs off two hits and two walks while fanning two over two frames, freshman Nick Iannuzzi (Peabody, Mass.) tossed 0.2 innings of scoreless relief, and Bergeron allowed an unearned run off two hits with four K's in two innings of work.
For the Bulldogs, freshman Will Manley (Middletown, Pa.) took the loss and falls to 0-3 on the season after allowing a run off two hits and three walks with two K's in two innings of relief. Starter Ryan Passaro (Wayne, N.J.) fell victim to poor defensive play, as he allowed five unearned runs off seven hits with two strikeouts in six innings.
OFF THE BAT:
- McDaniel was 3-3 with two runs and a walk
- Murphy went 2-5 with a run, a double, two stolen bases, and the game-winning RBI
- Sophomore center fielder Hunter Richardson (Monmouth, Maine) was 1-4 with a triple
- Barebo led the DeSales offense by going 3-5 with a run, a double, and two RBI
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will face Saint Vincent tomorrow at 3:00 PM.