NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Saint Joseph's College (10-14, 5-3 GNAC) split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) baseball doubleheader with Albertus Magnus College (8-14, 2-6 GNAC) on Monday. The Monks won the opener by a 10-7 score and fell victim to a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning in the nightcap.
Playing on a field with dimensions on the shorter side, the teams combined to hit nine home runs in the twin bill. The Falcons hit six long balls in the two-game set, including four in the closing contest, while the Monks rapped 29 total hits in the GNAC split.
SAINT JOSEPH'S 10, ALBERTUS MAGNUS 7:
The Monks built a 6-0 lead through three innings and held a 10-1 advantage after the top of the fifth when senior Jackson Stanton (Saugus, Mass.) hit a two-run homer and senior Zach Miles (Concord, N.H.) notched an RBI triple and later scored on a Jared Wilhelm (Tolland, Conn.) base hit.
After being held to just two hits through the first four frames, the Falcons' bats came to life in the bottom of the fifth with four runs on four hits – all with two out - to make it a 10-5 game. Shawn Smith belted a two-run home run during the Albertus resurgence.
The hosts cut into the SJC lead further with two runs – on a Sean Jefferson two-run shot – in the bottom of the seventh, but St. Joe's junior closer Luke Stephens (Glastonbury, Conn.) shut the door thereafter for his fifth save of the season.
ON THE MOUND:
SJC freshman starter Ethan Smith (Hudson Oaks, Texas) picked up the victory and improved to 2-2 on the season after allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks with eight K's over six solid innings. Sophomore Matthew Murphy (Plymouth, Mass.) gave up a two-run homer in the seventh and Stephens did not allow a hit in a clean outing.
For the Falcons, starter Christian Corliss falls to 1-4 after yielding six runs (four earned) off seven hits with three strikeouts in three innings. Eric Galaraza gave up four runs on four five hits with two K's over two frames and Colin Campbell allowed two hits over two scoreless innings of work.
OFF THE BAT:
- Miles went 3-4 with two runs, a triple, and a pair of RBI
- Stanton was 2-4 with a run, a home run, and four RBI
- Wilhelm, Jonathan Dube (Rochester, N.H.), and Matthew Thibault (Nashua, N.H.) registered two hits apiece
- For Albertus, Jefferson was 2-3 with two runs, a double, a home run, and three RBI, Bobby Arent went 2-3 with two runs and a double, and Smith was 1-3 with two runs, a homer, and two RBI
ALBERTUS MAGNUS 11, SAINT JOSEPH'S 10 (10 inn.):
Trailing 7-2 after giving up a five-spot in the bottom of the fourth, Saint Joseph's surged to an 8-7 edge with six runs on five hits – including a Dube two-run tater and a two-run double from Wilhelm – in the top of the fifth.
The Falcons countered in the bottom of the sixth, when Jason Sullivan belted a three-run homer to provide his team with a 10-8 advantage. The Monks proceeded to tie the game with two runs in the top of the seventh, when Stanton notched an RBI single, and Miles doubled and later crossed the plate on an infield error.
St. Joe's had the go-ahead run on third base with one out in the top of the ninth, but Albertus canceled the threat with a 4-6-3 double play. After working 3.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts in relief, Stephens faced Jefferson to start the bottom of the 10th and the designated hitter lofted a walk-off solo home run to right field.
ON THE MOUND:
SJC sophomore starter Jason Johnson (Thomaston, Conn.) allowed seven runs (just one earned) on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts over four innings and junior Logan Butkins (Scituate, R.I.) yielded three runs on four hits over 1.1 innings of relief. Stephens suffered the loss after giving up the solo home run (the first earned run he has allowed this spring) in the 10th.
Jefferson started on the mound for the Falcons and exited after tossing 4.1 innings while allowing seven runs (six earned) on nine hits, including a pair of home runs. Relievers Zack Fenn and Tyler Baldwin combined to give up three runs on five hits and three walks with four K's in 3.2 frames before giving way to AJ Rooks, who picked up his first win of the year after allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts in two innings of relief.
OFF THE BAT:
- Dube went 4-5 with two runs, a double, and a two-run homer
- Thibault was 4-6 with a run scored and a stolen base
- Wilhelm added two hits – including his first career home run – with a double and three RBI in six plate appearances
- Stephens went 2-5 with a run scored
- For Albertus, Jefferson went 3-6 with three runs, a homer, and two RBI, Sullivan belted two home runs and knocked in five, and Arent, Nick Ramos, Joseph Cortes, and John Riccio delivered two hits apiece
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the split, Saint Joseph's is now 29-2 all-time versus Albertus Magnus College. The nightcap setback snapped a 27-game winning streak versus the Falcons, a string that began during the 2008 season.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will play at Bowdoin College on Wednesday in a non-conference tilt set to begin at 4:30 PM.
