EAST PROVIDENCE, RI - Saint Joseph's (9-7, 3-1 GNAC) wrapped up its opening conference weekend by splitting a rainy-day twin bill with Johnson & Wales (9-11, 3-1) on Sunday afternoon. SJC southpaw Sam Murray '12 (Walpole, MA) fanned four and improved to 2-0 with 3 2/3 innings of relief in the 13-4 opening game win, while reliever Chris Nanof '10 (Clinton, MA) suffered the setback in the 8-7 nightcap loss. St. Joe's outhit the hosts 27-13 in the doubleheader and three players, Ian Lee '11 (Hampden, ME), Danny Achorn '12 (Bow, NH) and Mike Burdin '10 (Gardiner, ME), led the way with four hits apiece on the day.

In game one, the Monks rallied from a 3-2 deficit in the third inning with four runs in the fourth and seven in the sixth frame en route to the 13-4 win. The Wildcats turned the tables on the Monks in game two, however. Trailing 3-0 in the third, JWU second baseman Nick Alosco '11 (Mahopac, NY) drilled a three-run homer off SJC starter Kyle Dorr '10 (Berwick, ME) to tie the contest and led 8-4 after a four-run fifth inning. The Monks scored three in the sixth, but Johnson & Wales staved off the comeback bid and salvaged a split with an 8-7 win.

GAME ONE

St. Joe's kicked off the scoring in game one with two runs off three hits in the second frame. With two out, Todd Keneborus '11 (Hollis Center, ME/Cheverus), Achorn and Burdin connected for three consecutive base hits, with the latter plating Keneborus for the first run of the game. Achorn scored on a misplayed ball by JWU shortstop Mike Murphy '11 (Pawtucket, RI) off the bat of Wade Oliver '09 (Owls Head, ME) to put the Royal Blue up 2-0.

The Wildcats countered with three runs, two unearned, in the third to secure a 3-2 edge. With the bases loaded and no out, JWU leadoff hitter Waldis Garcia '10 (Lowell, MA) reached on a fielder's choice to plate the first run. SJC starter Mason Roberge '11 (Franklin, NH) fanned Alosco for the second out and looked to get out of the inning with minimal damage when Alex Verrecchia '12 (Cranston, RI) hit a grounder to Achorn. The wet field conditions came into play, however, as the rookie shortstop was unable to get a grip on the ball, as his throw sailed high over Ben Grant-Roy's '10 (Biddeford, ME) head at first base, allowing two JWU runs to score. The next batter, Wildcats first baseman John Kuschman '09 (Glastonbury, CT) popped out to second base to end the inning with the hosts holding a 3-2 lead after three frames.

The lead wouldn't last long for the Wildcats. SJC right fielder Eric LaBatte '11 (Rochester, NH) doubled to left to open the fourth inning and later scored on a Burdin base knock to tie the game. Oliver sent Achorn, who reached on an error, scrambling home with a sac fly and Burdin advanced to third on the play. Chris Campbell '11 (Rochester, NH), noticing JWU third baseman Frank Nadjavestky '09 (Avenel, NJ) playing deep with two out, dropped a bunt down the line for a hit. With no squeeze play on, Burdin possessed the wherewithal to score on the play, and Campbell later scored on a Pat Moran '10 (Winterport, ME) single to cap a four-run fourth, ending with the Monks in the lead, 6-3.

With the help of five hits and four Wildcats miscues, St. Joe's took control of the game with seven runs in the top of the sixth inning. Lee, Achorn, Oliver and Campbell recorded RBI singles in the inning that saw the Monks take a commanding 13-3 advantage. Johnson & Wales tacked on a run in the sixth to cap the game scoring.

For St. Joe's, Burdin was 2-3 with two RBI's and a run, Oliver and Campbell both went 2-4 with a run scored and two RBI's, Achorn was 2-4 with three runs and an RBI, and Lee and Moran both were 2-5 with a run and an RBI apiece. Keneborus and LaBatte each scored a pair of runs. Roberge allowed three hits, two walks and one earned run while striking out three in 3 1/3 innings and Murray fanned four and allowed three hits and one earned run to capture the winning decision.

Nadjavestky was 3-3 with a double and a run scored to lead the JWU offense. Starting pitcher Bobby Gilbert '09 (Florham Park, NJ) allowed 12 hits and 12 runs, three earned, in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss and falls to 1-3 on the year. In 1 2/3 innings of relief, Mike Touissaint '11 (North Windham, CT) allowed three hits and one unearned run.

GAME TWO

The Monks opened the nightcap contest with the same offensive fervor in which they closed out the first game. With two out, Lee singled and scored on a Grant-Roy triple to deep right. LaBatte followed with a single to the left side to plate Grant-Roy, giving the Monks a 2-0 lead after the first frame.

St. Joe's added another run on three hits in the second inning. Catcher Travis Adams '10 (Saco, ME) and Achorn reached with back to back singles and Oliver doubled to send Adams home.

Game two starter Kyle Dorr, who had cruised through the first two innings without surrendering a hit, ran into a spot of trouble in the third. Left fielder Michael Sarfati '10 (North Plainfield, NJ) reached on a Dorr miscue and Garcia reached on a bunt single to set the stage for Alosco, who promptly sent fastball over the right field fence to tie the game.

An Oliver sac fly sent Achorn, who reached via base hit, across the plate in the top of the fourth to give the Royal Blue a 4-3 lead, but JWU first baseman Teddy Katz '11 (Pittsburgh, PA) led off the bottom of the frame with a solo homer to left to knot the score once again.

Katz gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the fifth. Nadjavestky followed with a two-run double and later scored on a mishandled ball off the bat of Sarfati. As a result, Johnson & Wales led 8-4 after five innings of play.

As it turned out, the Wildcats four-run fifth would be too much for the Monks to overcome. St. Joe's scored three runs in the sixth, but the rally bid was cut short as reliever Marc Sommerhalter '12 (Emerson, NJ) entered the game and fanned Keneborus with the bases loaded.

For the Monks, Burdin was 2-3 with two doubles to go with a run scored and an RBI and Lee notched his fifth consecutive multiple-hit effort, having gone 2-3 with a run and an RBI in the loss. Also recording multiple hits were Adams, who went 2-4 with two runs, and Achorn, with a 2-4 game to go with a run and an RBI. Dorr allowed three runs and three hits in three innings, Nanof tossed 1 2/3 innings and allowed three earned runs and three base hits and Chris Dion '11 (Lawrence, MA) worked 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief in the loss.

For the Wildcats, Katz was 2-2 with two runs and two RBI's and Nadjavestky went 2-3 with two RBI's and a run. Starting pitcher Jeff Jordan '10 (Woodbridge, NJ) improved to 3-1 on the season after allowing 10 hits and five earned runs in five innings of work. Reliever Matt Yaeger '11 (Glendale, AZ) walked four batters and allowed two runs and a hit in 2/3 inning and was bailed out by Sommerhalter, who gained the save with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Saint Joseph's will host Husson University in the Monks' 2009 home opener on Wednesday, April 1st. The nine inning game is slated to begin at 3:00 PM at Larry Mahaney Diamond.