STANDISH, ME - Despite recording just five hits, Rivier College (14-12, 7-5 GNAC) defeated St. Joe's (21-13, 8-6 GNAC) 10-7 in game one. The Monks rebounded to win the second game, 6-0, behind outstanding pitching from FY Mason Roberge (Franklin, NH), who improved his personal record to 4-1 with the win, and SO Andrew Keirstead (Westbrook, ME). SR Luke Enman (Milan, NH), FY Ian Lee (Hampden, ME) and FY Todd Keneborus (Hollis Center, ME) all hit home runs for the Monks in the GNAC doubleheader.

With a sweep of the twinbill versus Rivier the Monks would gain sole possession of third place in the conference and host the #6 seed in the preliminary round of the GNAC tournament on Tuesday, April 22nd.

GAME ONE

Everything seemed to be going as planned in game one when JR Wade Oliver (Owls Head, ME) led off the bottom of the first with a single, was sacrificed over to second with a SR Brian Schools (Gorham, ME) bunt and driven home with a Luke Enman long ball to the left-center gap to give the Monks a 2-0 lead.

The Raiders scored a run in the top of the second when Joe Gargan (Hudson, NH) was sent home with a Roger Larochelle (Pelham, NH) sac fly to left field to make it a one-run game, 2-1 Monks.

Oliver hit a two-RBI single to send home Todd Keneborus and FY Eric LaBatte (Rochester, NH) in the bottom of the second to put the Royal Blue up 4-1.

The feisty Raiders would go on to make is a one-run contest again when John McMahon (Somerville, MA) hit a two-run home run in the top of the third to lessen the SJC lead to 4-3.

After Rivier starting pitcher Franco Pisano (Lynnfield, MA) held the St. Joe's hitters scoreless in the bottom of the third, the Raiders mounted a six-run fourth off just one hit. The Monks defenders made two errors and the SJC pitchers hit three batters and walked one in the inning that saw the Raiders take a 9-4 lead.

St. Joe's battled back to score three in the top of the fourth. Todd Keneborus connected for his second home run in as many days, a solo moon-shot to left-center, Brian Schools singled home SR Andrew Wood (South Portland, ME) and Luke Enman hit a sac fly to score Wade Oliver in the inning to lessen the Rivier lead to 9-7.

Rivier added an insurance run in the top of the sixth on a Kevin Moyer (Georgetown, MA) RBI double to make the final score 10-7, Raiders.

The Monks squandered several opportunities to tie the game as runners were stranded on second and third in both the fourth and fifth innings. The Monks outhit the Raiders 15 to 5, but left 9 runners on base in the game opposed to just 3 runners stranded for Rivier.

For the Monks, Andrew Wood was 3-3 with a run, Wade Oliver went 3-5 with 2 runs and 2 RBI's, Eric LaBatte 2-4 with a run and SO Ben Grant-Roy (Biddeford, ME) was 2-4 with a double. Sophomore starting pitcher Mike Burdin (Gardiner, ME) takes the loss and FY Chris Dion (Lawrence, MA) pitched 3.2 innings, scattered 3 hits and allowed one run in relief.

For Rivier, John McMahon was 2-5 with 5 RBI's and winning pitcher Franco Pisano allowed 11 hits and 6 earned runs in the game. Reliever Isaac Burkett (Hudson, NH) pitched 3.2 innings in relief and scattered 4 hits while striking out 3 SJC batters.

GAME TWO

With a sweep now out of the question, the Monks re-focused their energy on winning game two to obtain a split with the Raiders.

After a scoreless first inning, the Monks got on the board the same way they did to start game one: with a long-ball. After Keneborus reached on a miscue by Rivier shortstop Ryan O'Connor (Medford, MA), Ian Lee stepped to the plate and deposited a blast over the fence in left-center to give St. Joe's a 2-0 lead. The home run was Lee's third of the season.
The two runs would prove to be more than enough run support for SJC starting pitcher Mason Roberge, who threw five innings and allowed just 4 hits while whiffing two.

SO Travis Adams (Saco, ME) led off the fifth with a single and was replaced with pinch runner FY John Swasey (South Berwick, ME). With one out, Brian Schools doubled home Swasey and later scored on a Luke Enman sac fly to right field to give St. Joe's a 4-0 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Ian Lee hit an RBI single that scored SR Dustin Spiller (Gorham, ME) and Eric LaBatte hit a sac fly to center to send home pinch runner JR Steve Gorsun (South Berwick, ME) to wrap up the game scoring with the Monks on top, 6-0.

For the Monks, Ian Lee went 3-3 with 3 RBI's and Luke Enman added to his career leading triples total with his 6th three-bagger of the season. Pitcher Andrew Keirstead threw two innings of relief and allowed two hits.

For the Raiders, Kevin Moyer and Ryan O'Connor both collected two hits in the loss. Starting pitcher Phil Goulet (Framingham, MA) threw a complete game and allowed 8 hits, 4 earned runs and 2 walks to take the loss.

Third-place Rivier will play a GNAC doubleheader at Albertus Magnus on Sunday, April 20th to determine the final seedings for the conference tournament. With the split the Monks remain in fourth place in the GNAC, but depending on the outcome of the Rivier-Albertus Magnus games, could wind up in third place. Either way, the Monks will host a GNAC prelim game on Tuesday, April 22nd. Time and opponent to be determined.