STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's improved to 24-10 overall with an 11-8 victory over University of Southern Maine (14-12) at Larry Mahaney Diamond on Wednesday afternoon. SJC starter Chad Rafferty '13 (Keene, NH) improved to 5-0 with five innings of five-hit ball.
Six home runs were hit on a gusty day off the shores of Sebago, as both clubs hit three homers apiece. St. Joe's used the long ball to help score seven runs in their first turn off USM starter Joe Curran '11 (Arlington, MA), as catcher Travis Adams '10 (Saco, ME) hit a three-run jack and center fielder Craig Woodbrey '10 (belted a two-run shot in the opening frame. First baseman Ben Grant-Roy '10 (Biddeford, ME) hit a solo home run, his fourth tater of the year and 19th of his career, with two out in the eighth.
Collin Henry '10 (Penobscot, ME), Nick Grady '13 (Whitefield, ME) and Mike Eaton '11 (Sabattus, ME) each connected with two-run home runs in the losing effort for Southern Maine.
The Huskies pushed a run across in the top of the first, as shortstop Anthony Pisani '12 (Cheshire, CT) scored on a Henry groundout, to stake an early lead. The Monks immediately went to work with the bats, however, and proceeded to put seven unearned runs on the board off five hits and two USM miscues. Designated hitter Ian Lee '11 (Hampden, ME) plated shortstop Chris Campbell '11 (Rochester, NH) and Grant-Roy, who both reached with singles, with a base-knock to center. The Adams and Woodbrey fireworks followed, as both lefthanded hitters managed to drive balls the other way for home runs over the left field wall.
Eaton reached on an infield error to lead off the top of the third for the Huskies and the next batter, Henry, proceeded to hit an opposite-field home run of his own off the top of the scoreboard in left field to make it a 7-3 game. Woodbrey drove home Lee, who led off with a double, in the bottom of the third to put the Monks back up by five.
SJC right fielder Todd Keneborus '11 (Hollis Center, ME/Cheverus) opened the bottom of the fourth with a double to deep center and scored two batters later when left fielder Pat Moran '10 (Winterport, ME) hit a two-bagger down the left field line, lifting the Monks to an 9-3 advantage.
Southern Maine answered with another two-run jack in the fifth, as Grady hit a two-out blast to right off Rafferty to cut the Huskies' deficit to 9-5. Eaton's two-run long ball off Moran in the sixth made it a two-run game.
The Monks went on to add single runs in the seventh and eighth frames, as Adams singled to drive home Nate Martin '13 (Chebeague Island, ME) and Grant-Roy hit a solo homer to increase the SJC lead to 11-7.
Eaton opened the top of the ninth with a double down the right field line and was driven home when Henry worked a single to right with nobody out. With two down and Henry on second base, David Ricker '12 (Winthrop, ME) sent a sharply-hit grounder up the middle, but Danny Achorn '12 (Bow, NH), who entered the game in the eighth as a defensive sub, snared the ball and made the throw to first to end the game.
For the Monks, Adams was 2-4 with four RBI, Woodbrey went 2-4 with three RBI and Grant-Roy was 2-5 with two runs scored. Campbell went 2-5 with a run and Keneborus was 2-5 with two runs, a double and his 12th tripled this season and 18th of his career, placing him in a tie with Luke Enman '08 for the SJC three-base hit career record. As of April 18th, Keneborus led all of NCAA DIII Baseball with 11 triples.
Rafferty fanned four with three earned runs and five hits allowed in five innings, while Moran recorded a strikeout and surrendered three earned runs off five hits in four frames of relief.
Grady was 3-5 with two RBI and a run scored for the Huskies, while Eaton went 2-4 with three runs and two RBI and Henry was 2-4 with two runs and three RBI in the loss. Curran (1-2) allowed 11 hits and nine runs, with just two being of the earned variety, with one strikeout in five frames. Nick Hahn '11 (Guilford, CT) allowed an unearned run and two hits with three K's in two innings, while Grey Goodrich '11 (Amesbury, MA) allowed one run with a strikeout and a walk in 2/3 of an inning and Eaton fanned the only batter he faced in 1/3 inning of relief.
St. Joe's will play Norwich University in a GNAC twinbill on Saturday starting at 1:00 PM at Larry Mahaney Diamond, while Southern Maine will host Thomas College on Thursday at 3:30 PM.
