Mansfield, CT --- In the first elimination game of the 2010 NCAA Division III New England Regional Tournament, senior catcher Travis Adams (Saco, ME) sent a ball deep into center field for a double to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the 12th, giving eighth-seeded St. Joseph's College of Maine a 5-4 win over fifth-seeded Worcester State College.
The Monks advance to another elimination game Friday at 1:15 PM, facing either Western New England College or the University of Massachusetts Boston.
After pair of scoreless extra innings, St. Joe's got a one-out single to left by designated hitter Pat Moran (Winterport, ME), who also started the game on the mound for the Monks, going the opening nine innings. He allowed just seven hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts.
Moran was replaced on the bases by pinch-runner sophomore Kyle Neagle (Lisbon Falls, ME). A sacrifice bunt by freshman Nate Martin (Chebeague Island, ME), who had entered the game as a pinch-runner in the 7th and stayed in to cover left field, moved Neagle to second. Martin ended up safe at first on a throwing error. That brought Adams to the plate and his first hit of the game kept the Monks' season alive for at least another day.
Both Worcester State and St. Joe's pushed across a run in the 9th to extend the game into extra innings. The Lancers took their first lead of the contest with an unearned run in the top of the 9th. Two infield errors by the Monks helped the Lancers load the bases with one out. A liner caught in left field off the bat of senior shortstop TJ Magnell (Leominster, MA) brought home senior right fielder senior Nick Caparell (North Attleboro, MA) on a tag for the 4-3 lead.
Needing a run to keep the game going, the Monks wasted little time in the bottom of the 9th after junior shortstop Chris Campbell (Rochester, NH) led off with a single and moved to second base on a passed ball. Senior second baseman Mike Burdin (Gardiner, ME) put down a sacrifice bunt to get Campbell to third and Campbell tied the game when he crossed the plate on a single into right field by junior right fielder Todd Keneborus. (Hollis Center, NH).
Worcester survived a huge chance by St. Joe's to put the game away in the bottom of the 8th as the Monks loaded the bases with no outs in a 3-3 game. But senior reliever Kevin Hayes (Medford, MA), who was touched for a walk and a bunt single after inheriting a runner at first base one batter into the inning, bore down to get a pair of strikeouts, sandwiching a fielder's choice out at home to retire the side.
St. Joe's had taken a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the 7th when a liner by junior left fielder Ian Lee (Hampden, ME) was knocked down by Worcester starting pitcher senior Mike Borowiec (Spencer, MA) but Lee was safe at first before a play could be made. Martin came in to pinch-run for Lee and promptly stole second. A perfect sacrifice bunt by Adams moved Martin to third and freshman third baseman Mike Pratt (Dartmouth, MA) sent a liner over third base to knock in the go-ahead run. The Monks proceeded to load the bases with two outs but Worcester ended the threat by getting a fly out to right.
For the second time in the game, Worcester came right back to even the count in its next opportunity, taking advantage of a Monk error to score an unearned run. Senior Ryan LaPrade (Leominster, MA) led off the top of the 8th with a single into center field. After an out, a grounder to third by freshman left fielder Chris Creen (Worcester, MA) was overthrown to second base, allowing runners to be safe at first and third. Junior designated hitter Corey McDonald (Hudson, MA) lofted a fly ball into left that served as a sacrifice to bring LaPrade in with the tying run. St. Joe's starting pitcher Moran got a big strikeout with runners at the corners to keep it a 3-3 contest. LaPrade was one of two Lancers to pick up two hits in the contest, joined by junior first baseman Nick Fluegge (Ware, MA).
St. Joe's broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the 6th as the Monks loaded the bases with a pair of bunt singles from senior center fielder Craig Woodbrey (Gorham, ME) and Burdin followed by a walk to Keneborus. A high pitch eluded the Worcester catcher with senior first baseman Ben Grant-Roy (Biddeford, ME) at the plate, allowing Woodbrey to scamper home with the game's first run. Grant-Roy then roped a single into right field, scoring Burdin but Keneborus was nailed trying to score from second base by the accurate throw of Caparell, keeping it a 2-0 margin. Grant-Roy paced the Monks with three hits on the day while Woodbrey, Keneborus and Campbell all had two.
In their next at-bat in the top of the 7th, the Lancers used a single to left by Fluegge and a double to the base of the fence in right by junior catcher Johno Hinkell (North Adams, Mass.) to put runners at second and third. A ground single through the left side by sophomore third baseman Tyler McElman (Marlboro, MA) cut the gap to 2-1. After a hump-back lineout to second base, Hinkell tied the game at 2-2 as he scooted home on a wild pitch with two outs.
Through the opening five scoreless innings, Worcester had the best scoring chance with a pair of hits in the 2nd. But after a bunt single by junior center fielder Corey Abbascia (Shrewsbury, MA), a strong throw by Adams rubbed him out on a stolen base attempt. Two batters later, Magnell smacked a double into right center but was picked off second by pitcher Moran.
Picking up the win for St. Joe's with two innings of shutout relief was senior pitcher Chris Nanof (Clinton, MA), who yielded just one hit. He improved to 3-0 in 11 relief appearances this year. Taking the loss for Worcester was junior Chad Kasik (Dudley, MA), who allowed two hits in his 2.1 innings of relief work and slipped to 5-4 on the season.
COURTESY OF NCAA NEW ENGLAND REGIONAL SPORTS INFORMATION
