QUINCY, MA – Saint Joseph’s (9-7, 3-1 GNAC) split a pair of games with GNAC rival Suffolk University (7-9, 3-1 GNAC), winning the opener, 6-1, and falling in the nightcap, 13-8, on Sunday afternoon. Game one starter Pat Moran ’10 (Winterport, ME) allowed one earned run with six strikeouts and went 2-4 with a home run and three RBI at the plate in the 6-1 win and third baseman Mike Pratt ’13 (Dartmouth, MA) was 3-3 with a homer and five RBI in the 13-8 loss.
In game one, Moran broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning belting a two-run homer to center to help give the Monks their third straight conference victory to open the season.
Both teams traded runs in the first inning as the Monks got on the board in the top half of the inning when junior Todd Keneborus (Hollis Center, Me.) hit a double off the right field fence plating freshman Nate Martin (Chebeague Island, Me.) who led the game off with a walk.
Suffolk would answer in the bottom half of the first. Senior Bobby Barrett (Milton, Mass.) hit a rocket past the third base bag for a double, and then came home to score when senior Marc Doyle (Whitman, Mass.) singled into left.
Junior Andrew Babb (Ashland, Mass.) started on the hill for Suffolk, going 6 1/3 innings. Babb managed to keep the Monks off balance for much of the afternoon, until Moran struck with the big blow in the sixth.
With two outs, the Monks were able to take advantage of an infield error, bringing the reigning GNAC Player of the Year to the plate, who connected on his second homer of the season.
Suffolk was able to chase Moran in the bottom half of the sixth as junior Mark Addesa (Revere, Mass.) and junior Mark Annese (Winchester, Mass.) hit back to back singles, summoning senior Andrew Keirstead (Westbrook, Me.) from the bullpen. Keirstead induced an inning ending pop out to get out of trouble.
St. Joe’s would add three runs in the seventh with the big blow coming off the bat of junior Eric LaBatte (Rochester, N.H.), who drove in a pair with a single.
Babb, Barrett and senior Rory Gentile (Gloucester, Mass.) each had a pair of hits for Suffolk, who collected nine hits in game one. Suffolk could not take advantage of their scoring opportunities as they stranded 10 men on base.
Game two was a back and forth affair that saw the Rams score seven times in the bottom half of the sixth inning to complete their comeback. Freshman Jhonneris Mendez (Roslindale, Mass.) picked up the win in relief and had a clutch two-out double in the sixth inning for Suffolk.
After Suffolk took the lead in the fifth, St. Joe’s answered with three of their own in the top half of the sixth inning. After intentionally walking Moran to load the bases with one out, Pratt made the Rams pay scoring a pair of runners with a single to left. Senior Mike Burdin (Gardiner, Me.) continued the big inning later on with another single scoring the Monks third run of the inning to give them an 8-6 lead.
Suffolk would send 11 batters to the plate in the bottom half of the sixth as the Monks used three pitchers in the inning. Gentile got the inning started reaching base by an infield error. Freshman Chris Stanley (Orange County, Calif.) and Bobby Barrett would follow him by hitting back to back singles. Marc Doyle then drew a bases load walk to bring the Rams back within a run. Babb would even the game with a single and junior Eric Del Buono (Westfield, Mass.) would give the Rams the lead, 9-8 as he was the fifth Rams’ hitter to reach base consecutively. Mark Addesa would clear the bases later in the inning doubling into left to give Suffolk the 13-8 lead heading into the final inning.
The Monks jumped out early on Suffolk scoring once in the first, and then adding three runs in the fourth.
The Rams managed to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom half of the third inning as Del Buono smoked a two-run single to right.
The Monks would take the lead in the fifth as Pratt hit a towering homer into the trees in left field.
Suffolk answered in the bottom half of the inning as Mendez plated a pair of runners with a double off the right field fence.
Senior Ben Grant-Roy (Biddeford, Me.) finished the game 4-for-5 for the Monks, while Burdin, Pratt and Keneborus each had three hits apiece.
Del Buono finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Gentile, Stanley, Barrett and Babb also had two hits apiece for Suffolk.
Mendez (2-1) picked up his second win in two days in relief for Suffolk. Keirstead picked up the loss after earning the save in game one.
St. Joe’s will play a doubleheader at Husson University on Thursday, with the first game slated for a 1:00 PM first pitch.
COURTESY OF SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
