Jesse LaCasse finishes with a game-high three hits
Cape Coral, FL-The Saint Joseph's College Baseball team registered their first win of 2003 season with an impressive 9-5, come from behind victory over Carroll College Tuesday morning at Cape Coral Park at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.
Freshman Kenneth Peck (1-0) picked up the win for the Monks, surrendering just two runs on five hits in 1.1 innings of work. Sophomore center fielder Rusty Rutherford drove in two runs and senior first baseman Jesse LaCasse was 3 for 5 with a homerun in the win. The Monks (1-4) and the Pioneers(0-5) each registered 10 hits.
A scoreless game through two, Carroll put up a two runs in the third. Catcher Jared Stengal walked to lead off the inning, and moved to second on a Ryan Gasper walk before Ryan Babcock double them both home to give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead.
Saint Joseph's College put up six in the fifth, getting a single by left fielder Nick Mirabello and had taken second on a stolen base. Tyler Bryant watched four pitches miss the strike zone for a walk. Mirabello had taken third on his second stolen base of the day. Mirabello and Bryant were plated on a double by Andy Exley. Rutherford scored Exley when his grounder got through the infield, advanced to third on a LaCasse single, and scored on misplayed ball by third baseman Nick Witthuhn. Derek McIntosh and Ben Muniz had an RBI single each making it 7-3 SJC.
Carroll plated two more runs in the top of the sixth when Stengel and center fielder Rob Brester had back-to-back singles to lead off the frame. After Stengel was picked off at second, Brester moved to third on a single by Gasper. A Babcock double plated Brester and Gasper to pull the Pioneers to a 7-5 margin.
A long solo home run off the bat of first baseman Jesse LaCasse got one of the runs back for the Monks in the bottom of the seventh.
Rutherford and LaCasse had multi-hit efforts, and Exley added two RBI. Babcock, Witthuhn, and Stengel led the Pioneers with two hits each.
Starter Derrick Geiger (0-1) absorbed the loss, giving up seven runs, four of which was earned, on seven hits and one walks to go with two strikeouts. Steve Dombrowski, who tossed 2.2 innings, and gave up two runs, one earned, on two hits and a walk, relieved him. He struck out three. Chris Teske pitched the last inning, and gave up one run, which was earned, on one hit.
Monk reliever Nolan Beckwith faced four batters in the ninth with a strikeout, allowing no hits while fanning one.
