CHARLOTTE, FL - The Monks took game one of a twinbill on Wednesday as SO Andrew Keirstead (Westbrook, ME) pitched all 7 innings to earn the win in the first game. In the second game, St. Joe's rallied to score 4 runs in the 6th inning to tie the game, 6-6, but was unable to keep Thomas More off the board as they scored a run in the bottom of the 7th to defeat the Monks 7-6.

Thomas More struck first in the opening inning when FY catcher Spencer Franzreb (Cincinnati, OH) hit a single off of Keirstead to plate teammate SR Brad Ketterer (Fairfield, OH), who had earlier reached on a single. The Monks shot back in the bottom half to take the lead with 2 runs off of four hits. JR Leadoff hitter Wade Oliver (Owls Head, ME) and SR Brian Schools (Gorham, ME) started off the inning with singles and SR Luke Enman (Milan, NH) and SR Dustin Spiller (Gorham, ME) each sent a runner across the plate with base knocks to provide St. Joe's with an early 2-1 lead.

Wade Oliver sparked the SJC offense again when he hit a leadoff double in the third inning. Brian Schools proceeded to drive him home with a single and later scored, along with SO Ben Grant-Roy (Biddeford, ME) who reached via base on balls, when Dustin Spiller laced a double off the right field fence. SO Pat Moran (Winterport, ME) followed with a single to center to send Spiller home and increase the Monks' lead to 6-1 after three innings of play.

Thomas More's SR Johnny Lee (West Harrison, IN) led off the fourth inning with a triple and teammate JR Jake Brown (Cincinnati, OH) drove him home with a sacrifice fly to decrease the SJC lead to 6-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, Monks senior shortstop Luke Enman hit a RBI single to send home Brian Schools, who led off the inning with a triple off the centerfield fence. Pat Moran doubled over the centerfielder's head to drive in both Enman and Ben Grant-Roy to help SJC stake a 9-2 lead.

Thomas More managed to score two runs in the 8th and one run in the 9th, but Luke Enman made a nice play on a ball ground ball up the middle in the final inning to end the TMC rally and the game.

Brian Schools was 3-4 with 3 runs and an RBI and Wade Oliver, Luke Enman, Dustin Spiller and Pat Moran all collected two hits apiece in the game. Spiller and Moran both notched 3 RBI's in the victory. Andrew Keirstead allowed 3 earned runs and struck out 3 TMC batters in the complete game effort.

For Thomas More, Brad Ketterer was 3-4 with 2 runs and SR Pat Bernsden (Cincinnati, OH) , Johnny Lee and Spencer Franzreb each had 2 hits in the game. Starting pitcher Pat Bernsden suffered the loss.

In the second game of the doubleheader, Monks first baseman Ben Grant-Roy hit a line drive solo home run over the left field fence to open the scoring for St. Joe's in the second inning. St. Joe's extended their lead to 2-0 in the third inning when Luke Enman hit a sacrifice fly to send FY Todd Keneborus (Hollis Center, ME), who led off the inning with a walk, across the plate.

Monks FY starting pitcher Mason Roberge (Franklin, NH) cruised through the first two innings of his first career start , but ran into trouble in the 3rd inning when Thomas More scored 4 runs, 3 earned, off of 3 hits. Jake Brown notched the big hit of the inning with a bases-loaded double that drove home 3 runs. TMC scored two more runs in the 4th inning to take a 6-2 lead.

The Monks refused to accept defeat easily and battled back in the top of the 6th inning to tie the game at 6-6. Enman, Grant-Roy and Spiller all hit singles to open the inning and load the bases for FY catcher Ian Lee (Hampden, ME), who cracked a double to the left-center gap to drive in all three SJC baserunners. JR pinch runner Stephan Gorsun (South Berwick, ME) scored on a wild pitch to score the game-tying run.

Thomas More first baseman Pat Bernden reached on an error to open the bottom half of the eighth inning and would later score the winning run on a Marty Kersting (Cincinnati, OH) sacrifice fly.

For the Monks, Ben Grant-Roy was 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI and Ian Lee tallied 3 RBI's in the game. Brian Schools took the loss in relief.

Thomas More's Brad Ketterer was 2-4 with a run and an RBI and SO Chris Fishburn (Cincinnati, OH) was 3-4 with a run and RBI. SR Adam Sargeant (Warsaw, KY) earned the victory in relief.

The Monks will next play in a doubleheader against Northland College (WI) on Thursday, 3/6 at 11:00 AM.