VENICE, FL - The St. Joe's baseball team opened up their spring trip with a doubleheader against NEWMAC opponent Worcester Polytechnic Institute and lost the opener, 3-0, despite a solid pitching performance from starter SO Pat Moran (Winterport, ME). The Monks used a team effort to defeat the Engineers in the second game, 10-7. Moran went 3-3 with 2 RBI and SO Ben Grant-Roy (Biddeford, ME) knocked in 3 runs and had two hits in the win. SO Andy Pooler (Somesville, ME) registered the win in relief. The doubleheader was the season's first games for both New England Region teams.

In the opening game, the Monks' Moran and Engineers junior righty Conor Fahey (Cumberland, RI) locked heads in a classic pitcher's duel. It appeared that Fahey would roll through the St. Joe's lineup, as struck out 3 SJC batters in the first two innings. Although the Monks batsmen made adjustments to counteract the whiffs, the Royal Blue was unable to plate a run in the game. St. Joe's had two runners on base in the 4th, 6th and 7th innings. Fahey threw a complete game shutout and scattered 3 hits with 5 strikeouts and 5 walks in the game. Moran also went the distance and allowed 4 hits, 2 earned runs, struck out 3 and walked one. WPI scored an unearned run in the 3rd inning and padded their lead with 2 runs in the 6th inning. SO Mark Dignum (Albany, NY) hit a double to knock in teammate JR Ethan Brown (Lunenberg, MA), who had earlier singled. Dignum later scored on a Moran wild pitch to make the score 3-0.

JR Wade Oliver (Owls Head, ME), SR Brian Schools (Gorham, ME) and SR Luke Enman (Milan, NH) each had singles to account for the three SJC hits. Enman also tallied two walks in the game. Monks FY catcher Ian Lee (Hampden, ME) played an outstanding game behind the plate, throwing out two would-be Engineers basestealers.

The Monks were down 3-0 after WPI sent eight hitters to the plate in the first inning. JR Scott McKnee (Falmouth, MA) hit a triple over the head of centerfielder Wade Oliver to send two Engineers home and SO Cody McGregor (Westfield, MA) later doubled to send McKnee across the plate to help stake the early lead. SO lefthanded starting pitcher Kyle Dorr (Berwick, ME) settled down and posted goose eggs in each of the next three innings to give the Royal Blue an opportunity to mount a comeback bid.

The Monks scored runs in both the first and second innings to lessen the WPI lead to 3-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning before the SJC bats came alive. The Monks offense posted 5 runs on 4 hits in the inning with the big hit coming by way of a double off the bat of first basemen Ben Grant-Roy that plated two runs. Pat Moran singled home a run and SO catcher Travis Adams (Saco, ME) also hit a double and knocked in a run during the inning which saw the Monks take a 7-3 lead.

St. Joe's added a run in the 5th inning when Wade Oliver blasted a double down the left field line that brought home teammate FY John Swasey (South Berwick, ME) and went on to add two more runs in the 6th inning off a Grant-Roy triple and an Adams sacrifice fly. The Monks held a 10-5 lead going into the seventh inning before the Engineers' Scott McKnee cranked a two-run home run over the leftfield fence off SJC closer Brian Schools to bring his team back within striking distance. Schools settled in, however, and would not allow another WPI baserunner to complete the game and provide the Monks with a victory for the split.

For the Monks in the second game, Pat Moran was 3-3 with 2 runs and 2 RBI; Ben Grant-Roy 2-4 with 2 runs, 3 RBI, a double and a triple; Travis Adams 2-3 with a double and 2 RBI and SO Ricky Sarmento was 2-2 with a double in the win. FY Eric LaBatte (Rochester, NH) posted his first career collegiate hit with a single in the 5th inning as a pinch hitter.

For the Engineers, Scott McKnee was 2-4 with 4 RBI and Cody McGregor went 2-3 in the loss.

The 1-1 Monks will continue on their southern swing with a single game against NEWMAC opponent Clark University on Tuesday, 3/3 at 10:00 AM. The game is a nine inning contest.