STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's College (28-10, 11-3 GNAC) earned a pair of non-conference victories, 4-2 and 6-4, over Colby College (11-15) at Larry Mahaney Diamond on Sunday afternoon.
The Monks look to be playing their best baseball heading into the upcoming GNAC Tournament, which starts on Thursday when the Monks host a conference quarterfinal. St. Joe's has won eight straight games, and 12 of the last 13, with a 19-3 record so far in April.
Pat Moran '10 (Winterport, ME) notched the winning decision in the opener after tossing 2.1 innings of three-hit relief and is now 6-1 this spring. Mason Roberge '11 (Franklin, NH) collected the victory in the nightcap after allowing a run and two hits with two K's in two innings. Adam Stanclift '13 (Chesterfield, NH) hurled a perfect seventh frame to notch his fourth save of the year.
Abhi Chandel '12 (Columbus, NJ), who allowed four runs off six hits and fanned six in 5.1 innings, falls to 1-1 on the year after suffering the loss for Colby in the opener. Connor Sullivan '12 (Hamilton, MA) was hit with the loss in the closing contest after surrendering six runs off seven hits in three innings. Ian Bezahler '13 (Woodbridge, CT) worked three frames of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit and one walk with a strikeout for the Mules.
Seniors Travis Adams (Saco, ME), Mike Burdin (Gardiner, ME), Kyle Dorr (Berwick, ME), Ben Grant-Roy (Biddeford, ME), Andrew Keirstead (Westbrook, ME), Pat Moran, Chris Nanof (Clinton, MA) and Craig Woodbrey (Gorham, ME) and their parents were honored with a ceremony in recognition of their many contributions to the program following the completion of the twinbill. (See group photo below)
GAME ONE
Grant-Roy staked the Monks to a 1-0 lead with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the first, but Chandel managed to silence the SJC bats over the next three innings, allowing the visitors to knot the game with a run in the top of the fifth, as John Lerner '11 (Canton, MA) doubled and scored on a single by pinch-hitter Brendan Gallagher '12 (Dublin, NH) with two out.
The Monks gained a two-run cushion in the fifth with a bases-loaded single by Chris Campbell '11 (Rochester, NH) with one out. Adams and Nick Saunders '13 (Brooksville, ME) opened the frame with back to back singles and both runners moved up a base on a Woodbrey sac bunt. Ian Lee '11 (Hampden, ME) was intentionally walked to bring Campbell to the plate with the bases loaded. The junior shortstop fouled off the first two pitches he saw to fall to 0-2, but worked the count to full and capped the eight-pitch at bat with a sharply-hit single to left to drive two runs home.
The Mules cut their deficit in half with a run in the sixth off an SJC miscue, but Moran provided St. Joe's with an insurance run in the bottom of the inning with a solo homer to deep left and worked a perfect seventh on the hill to help the Monks earn a 4-2 win.
Campbell, who went 2-3 with a run and two RBI, was the Monks' only repeat hitter, while Nikolas Atsalis '12 (West Hyannis Port, MA) was the lone Mules' player to notch multiple hits and went 2-4 in the losing effort.
Kevin Chamberlain '11 (Scarborough, ME) started the game for the Monks and worked three scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
GAME TWO
In the nightcap, St. Joe's captured the momentum immediately by scoring five runs in the first two innings. Nate Martin '13 (Chebeague Island, ME) walked, stole second and scored on a Todd Keneborus '11 (Hollis Center, ME/Cheverus) double to center field. In the second inning, Mike Pratt '13 (Dartmouth, MA) tripled home Lee, who led off the frame with a single, Burdin notched a two-run double and Keneborus posted a run-scoring base hit.
The in-state rivals swapped runs in the fourth inning, as Jake Kramer '13 (Medfield, MA) doubled in a run for the Mules and Pratt belted a solo long ball to make it a 6-1 game.
In the top of the sixth, Colby scored three runs off four hits to reduce the Monks' cushion to 6-4. Kramer slapped an RBI single and Atsalis and Gallagher both plated runs with sacrifice flies for the Mules.
For the Monks, Pratt was 2-2 with a run and two RBI, Danny Achorn '12 (Bow, NH) went 2-3 with a run scored and Keneborus was 2-3 with two runs batted in. SJC starter Matt Mullen '11 (Rockland, MA) tossed three scoreless innings with two hits allowed and a strikeout.
Adams saw his hitting streak snapped at a career-high 16 games after being held 0-3 at the plate in the nightcap. The streak was also the team's longest of the 2010 campaign.
For the Mules, Kramer was 2-2 with two RBI and Mike Mastrocola '12 (Southbury, CT) went 2-4 with a run scored.
St. Joe's, the #2 seed in the upcoming GNAC playoffs, will host a conference quarterfinal on Thursday. Opponent and start time will be announced on Tuesday evening.
