BABSON PARK, FL – Saint Joseph's (1-1) split a season-opening doubleheader with Curry College (2-2) at Webber International University on Sunday afternoon. The Monks outlasted the Colonels, 1-0, in the opener and fell, 4-2, in the nightcap. Senior infielder Chris Campbell (Rochester, NH) went 3-4 and reached base five times in the twinbill.
Both games featured outstanding pitching and defense, as the New England Region teams combined to rap just 12 hits (six apiece) in 14 innings of play. St. Joe's southpaw Sam Murray '12 (Walpole, MA), the 2010 GNAC Pitcher of the Year, set the tone with seven innings of two-hit, shutout ball in the first game. Game-two starter Chad Rafferty '13 (Keene, NH) and reliever Kyle Neagle '12 (Lisbon Falls, ME), who made his collegiate debut on the hill in the closing contest, combined to yield one earned run with eight strikeouts in the second game.
GAME ONE
Pitching reigned supreme in the Monks' 2011 season-opener, as Murray and Curry junior Joe Carrig (Irvine, CA) combined to allow just five hits and three walks on the afternoon.
Saint Joseph's squandered several scoring opportunities, including an ideal situation in the first frame. Sam Butts '13 (Saco, ME) and Campbell stood on third and second, respectively, with one out and Todd Keneborus '11 (Hollis Center, ME/Cheverus) at the plate. Carrig bore down, however, by fanning Keneborus and inducing a fly out left off the bat of senior catcher Ian Lee (Hampden, ME).
Several balls may have left the yard if not for a breeze blowing in the wrong direction. Junior shortstop Dan Achorn (Bow, NH) led off the bottom of the third with a deep blast to center, which was caught by Curry center fielder Sean Jackman '11 (Stoughton, MA) and, with two runners on in the fourth, SJC freshman Alex Lorenc (Nanuet, NY) smashed a ball to deep left but Steve Hole '14 (Bellingham, MA) made a diving catch to preserve the scoreless deadlock.
The Monks finally pushed a run across in the bottom of the sixth. Butts led off the frame with a triple down the right field line and later scored on a double-play ball hit by Lee.
As it turned out, one run is all Murray needed to record the 11th win of his career. The Colonels threatened to tie the game in the top of the seventh, as Sam Barron '13 (Florence, MA) opened the inning with a single and moved to third on a pair of ground-ball outs but was stranded on third.
With two hits, Campbell was the only repeat hitter in the opener. Defensively, SJC first baseman Mike Pratt '13 (Dartmouth, MA) registered 14 putouts and second sacker Brandon Chase '13 (Naples, ME) recorded six assists in the triumph.
Carrig, who allowed three hits and two walks with six K's in the setback, suffered the loss for the Colonels.
GAME TWO
The Monks got on the board first in the nightcap and held a 2-0 lead after two innings of play. In the first frame, Butts singled with one out and later scored on a perfectly-executed first and third double steal play. Freshman shortstop Matt Consigli (Northbridge, MA) walked to lead off the second inning, promptly stole second, and later scored on a sac fly to right off the bat of Monks leadoff hitter Nate Martin '13 (Chebeague Island, ME).
St. Joe's had a chance to break the game open in the second, but the Royal Blue stranded a pair in scoring position.
Rafferty cruised through the first two innings, but ran into a spot of trouble in the third when the Colonels managed to plate all four of their runs. Curry's first run of the twinbill came on a bases-loaded balk and designated hitter Brad Hawn '11 (Chino Hills, CA) knotted the game at two-apiece with a ground-out to second. Shortstop Carlos Cornejo '11 (Lake Forest, CA) reached with a walk and put his team ahead when he scored on a Rafferty wild pitch. Catcher Matt Rodriguez '13 (Quincy, MA), who reached via bean ball, crossed home plate on a Barron base knock.
Reliever Chris Costa '11 (Lynnfield, MA) replaced Colonels starter Matt Drew '12 (Waltham, MA) with one out in the fourth inning and did not allow a base hit over 3.2 frames. The senior right-hander was credited with the victory and allowed two walks and fanned three batters.
Neagle supplanted Rafferty on the mound mid-way through the fifth inning and whiffed four batters in 1.2 innings of work.
Saint Joseph's will face Franklin & Marshall on Monday morning in a doubleheader slated to begin at 9:30 AM.
Postgame interview with Head Coach Will Sanborn '86:
