Photo courtesy of Blue Egg Images
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Saint Joseph's College (13-3) split a non-conference doubleheader with Hamilton College (7-6) in RussMatt Central Florida Invitational baseball action on Monday. The Colonials won the first game by a 12-7 margin and the Monks responded with a 4-1 triumph.
GAME ONE – HAMILTON 12, SAINT JOSEPH'S 7
The teams scored three runs apiece in the first inning as the Monks fell into a 3-0 hole early but answered with an RBI single from Drew Healey (Rochester, N.H.) and a two-run double off the bat of senior first baseman Noah McDaniel (Eliot, Maine).
The stalemate did not linger for long however, as Hamilton took advantage of a pair of SJC errors in the top of the second to score a pair or runs and tacked on three off four hits in the third to claim an 8-3 cushion. The Colonials added single runs in the fourth and sixth innings and scored a pair in the top of the seventh to collect a 12-4 advantage before the Monks plated three in the bottom of the final frame, with Healey recording a two-run single and McDaniel knocking in a run on an infield error.
ON THE MOUND:
Junior starter Zach Ham (Saco, Maine) was unable to get out of the first inning after allowing three runs off four hits and a walk while recording a pair of outs and junior Luke Klenda (Yarmouth, Maine) took the loss after giving up six runs (four earned) off seven hits and two walks with three K's in three innings of work. Freshman Alex D'Angelo (Peabody, Mass.) allowed an unearned run off two hits with a punch-out in 2.1 innings and junior Simon Gonzalez (Peabody, Mass.) gave up two runs off three hits and a walk in an inning of relief.
For Hamilton, junior starter Chris Keane (North Andover, Mass.) improves to 1-1 on the season after yielding four runs off four hits and two walks with a pair of punch-outs over four innings of work. Relievers Tom Riley (St. James, N.Y.) and Carl Maxwell (Milford, Conn.) tossed a perfect inning apiece and Ian Nish (Cutchogue, N.Y.) closed out the contest by allowing three runs off three hits with two K's in the seventh.
OFF THE BAT:
- Healey was 2-3 with a run and three RBI
- McDaniel went 1-4 with three RBI
- For Hamilton, shortstop Brady Slinger and designated hitter Matt Cappelletti (Fayetteville, N.Y.) notched three hits apiece
GAME TWO – SAINT JOSEPH'S 4, Hamilton 1
For the second-consecutive day, the Monks suffered a difficult lid-lifter loss and rebounded with the help of an impressive outing by a freshman starting pitcher. Yesterday, it was Matt Bergeron (Salem, N.H.) shutting down Franklin College. Today it was first-year Johnathan Flynn (Holden, Mass.) answering the call with 4.2 innings of four-hit shutout baseball.
The closing contest was a scoreless affair until the top of the fourth when the Monks plated a run off a hit and a Hamilton error. With one out, sophomore center fielder Hunter Richardson (Monmouth, Maine) singled and advanced to second on an infield error, moved to third after consecutive walks, and scored on a Healy sac fly to left field.
In the top of the sixth, St. Joe's took advantage of two Hamilton errors to score three runs off just one hit, as senior right fielder Jared Gagne (Dover, N.H.) walked and later scored on a Healey ground out, senior designated hitter Greg Emanuelson (Hudson, N.H.) singled and scampered home on an error, and McDaniel walked and trotted across the plate on an Anthony DiPrizio (Rochester, N.H.) sac fly to make it a 4-0 game.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Colonials made the Monks pay for a free pass and a pair of walks by scoring their only run of the game.
OFF THE BAT:
- Richardson was 2-4 with a run scored
- Murphy went 2-4 with a pair of stolen bases
- Healey knocked in a pair without recording a hit
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Today's meeting was the first-ever on the baseball diamond between the Monks and Colonials.
NEXT!
The Monks have concluded their play in the Sunshine State and will resume play in New England Thursday at Husson. First pitch is slated for 4:00 PM.