COURTESY OF LASELL COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
Waltham, MA—Sophomore right hander Josh Sullivan
(Rockland, MA) pitched a two-hitter as the Lasell College baseball
team defeated preseason favorites St. Joseph’s College of
Maine, 6-2, in the first game of a Great Northeast Athletic
Conference (GNAC) doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. Sullivan
delivered a perfect game through five and a third innings, striking
out six, en route to the Lasers’ first ever victory over the
Monks. St. Joseph’s came back in the nightcap to
collect a 13-1 win over the Lasers.
In addition to an incredible complete game on the mound, Sullivan
also produced one hit and two runs for the Lasers while aiding his
own cause with one putout and three assists in the
field. Jake Salkovitz (Brockton, MA) went 2-for-3 with
a single, a double, a run, and two RBI and Bobby Stachura
(Middletown, CT) added two hits, one run, and one RBI for
Lasell.
Craig Woodbrey
(Gorham, ME) and Travis
Adams (Saco, ME) each tallied a hit and a run for the visitors,
with Adams producing the Monks two-RBI home run in the sixth.
Lasell raced to a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Carlton Lentini
(Wilmington, MA) reach first on an error by the Monks short
stop. Lentini got out the following play when Sullivan
grounded to first base and Ben Grant-Roy (Biddeford,
ME) selected to make the out at second. Mike Mahoney
(Rockland, MA) walked and Jake Salkovitz (Brockton, MA) loaded the
bases with an infield single. Stachura hit a
slow-roller to the third baseman which scored Sullivan and still
left the bases loaded with only one out. During his second
chance at the plate, Matt Mahoney waited out the pitcher to take
his second walk of the day, bringing in Mike Mahoney, and giving
Lasell a 2-0 advantage.
St. Joseph’s brought in Chris Nanof (Clinton, MA) to
relieve Korr after one and a third innings. Herb Chappell
(Salem, CT) smacked a fielder’s choice which gave St.
Joe’s the out at second, but plated Salkovitz in the
process. With two outs and runners on the corners, Conor
Cavanaugh (Quincy, MA) hit a ground-rule double into left field,
scoring Stachura. Nanoff eventually collected the third out,
sitting down a Laser batter on strikes.
Lentini and Sullivan started things off again in the third, when
Lentini sent a base-hit down the third base line and Sullivan
followed with a single into the left field gap. Mike Mahoney
hit a sacrifice bunt to advance Lentini and Sullivan, and Salkovitz
knocked a perfectly placed double into right field, scoring the two
Laser runners.
Righty pitcher Mason
Roberge (Franklin, NH) replaced Nanoff after one inning with a
runner on second and one out. Stachura grounded out to the
third baseman Nick
Saunders (Brooksville, ME), and Salkovitz proceeded to third on
the throw. Roberge got out of the inning with a
strikeout, prohibiting Salkovitz from scoring. Lasell capped their
scoring by the end of the inning, 6-0.
The score remained unchanged through the fourth and the fifth.
Sullivan and Roberge struck out one batter each in the two-inning
stretch.
After making it through five and third innings unscathed, Woodbrey
broke up Sullivan’s perfect game with a two-bag knock deep
into left center, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Adams
pulled out a two-run homer over the center field fence in the
following play, scoring the Monks first runs of the game, with one
out. Sullivan regained his composure to strike out Chris Campbell (Rochester,
NH) swinging, and Salkovitz made the final play of the inning at
second base.
Top of the final inning, Keneborus reached on a throwing error by
Lasell’s short stop. Sullivan struck out Grant-Roy and
Moran swinging, beating out a full count in both instances, and
Cavanagh made the final out, catching a fly ball to center
field.
Chappell and Cavanagh ended the game with a hit and a RBI each
while Lentini produced a hit and a run in the victory.
Roberge finished the game for the Monks, with one hit, no runs and
five strike-outs.
St. Joseph’s came into game two with a renewed energy,
opening with a grand slam by Ian Lee (Hampden, ME) during his
first at bat of the afternoon. Lee was set up by Grant-Roy,
Todd Keneborus
(Hollis Center, ME), and Pat Moran (Winterport,
ME). Grant-Roy reach first on a fielder’s choice,
Keneborus was hit by a pitch, and Moran walked to load the
bases. With a full count and two outs, Lee bombed the home
run deep beyond the center field fence, giving the Monks a prompt
4-0 advantage.
Another four-run inning for the Monks occurred in the top of the
third as a result of four-hits. Moran grounded out to
Chappell at first base, scoring Keneborus who had taken an earlier
walk. Lee hit an RBI-single in the following play, bringing
Grant-Roy home, for a 6-0 Monk lead. The final two runs of the
stretch were scored on a single to center field by Adams.
The Monks’ starting pitcher Chad Rafferty (Keene, NH)
allowed just one Laser hit in the first three innings, letting up a
Cavanagh double in the second.
Moran highlighted the fourth inning with a two-run homer clearing
the left field fence, bringing home Keneborus. Lasell found
themselves in a 10-0 deficit at the bottom of the inning.
It was the bottom of the fourth when Lasell got on the board.
Stachura and Pat Girard (Stonington, CT) both walked. Sullivan
followed with a single through the right side, which plated
Stachura for Lasell’s first, and only, run.
The Monks continued to do damage in the fifth as Sam Butts (Saco, ME) singled
up the right line. Dan
Achorn (Bow, NH) followed with a double to left center. Kyle Neagle (Lisbon
Falls, ME) shot a sac fly to left field, scoring Butts, to bring
the score to 11-1.
Back-to-back triples by St. Joseph’s in the top of the
seventh inning brought in the 12th run. Neagle knocked the
first into center field and Keneborus launched the second into
right center, plating Neagle. Keneborus came home on a wild
pitch for the Monks final run.
Keneborus went 2-for-2 with four runs and one RBI in the Monks
win. Lee had a day at the plate, with two hits, including the
initial grand-slam, one run and five RBI. Butts and Adams
also went 2-for-2 at the plate, while a half-dozen Monks aided to
the victory with one hit each.
Rafferty acquired the win in six innings, relinquishing two hits
and one earned run, while fanning four Laser batters.
Pat Kennedy (MOnroe, CT) struck out two Monk batters in two innings
of relief pitching for Lasell.
Both teams return to GNAC action on Sunday, April 11th. St.
Joseph’s will head to Emerson for a 4:00 p.m. start at
Maplewood Park, while the Lasers will face current conference
leaders Suffolk University (11-10, 7-1 GNAC) at noon at Brandeis
University.