STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's (16-9, 5-1 GNAC) won a pair of pitching duels against Thomas College (7-16, 4-2 NAC) in non-conference baseball action at Larry Mahaney Diamond on Tuesday afternoon. Sophomore right-hander Chad Rafferty (Keene, NH) tossed a complete game one-hitter with nine strikeouts in the opener while Mason Roberge '11 (Franklin, NH) allowed one run on seven hits and fanned four in the nightcap.
Terriers starting pitchers Jake Chamblee '13 (South Berwick, ME) and Eric Sucy '12 (Belgrade, ME) nearly matched the Monks' hurlers pitch for pitch but fell on the wrong side of the scoreboard due to some late and timely hitting by the Royal Blue. St. Joe's recorded run-scoring hits in the bottom of the sixth inning in both contests en route to the sweep.
GAME ONE
Rafferty and Chamblee managed to keep the opposing hitters off balance for most of the opener and neither team would muster a base knock until SJC left fielder Sam Butts '13 (Saco, ME) singled with two out in the bottom of the third.
Thomas shortstop Jeff Richardson '13 (Rochester, NH) led off the top of the fourth with a single to notch the Terriers' first – and only - hit of the afternoon, but his effort was immediately negated when the next batter grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
Thomas threatened to break through first as the visitors had runners on first and second with two out in the top of the sixth, but Rafferty induced a harmless groundball out to escape unscathed.
St. Joe's had runners on first and second with nobody out in the bottom of the sixth as senior leadoff hitter Chris Campbell (Rochester, NH) ignited the Monks with a leadoff single to right and shortstop Dan Achorn '12 (Bow, NH) worked a walk. The scenario remained the same for the hosts as a groundball hit to third by Todd Keneborus '11 (Hollis Center, ME/Cheverus) resulted in a force out at the hot corner. The next batter, freshman catcher Alex Lorenc (Nanuet, NY), capped an outstanding at bat with a line drive single to right-center to plate Achorn and provide Rafferty with the only run support he required.
Rafferty improves to 3-1 on the season with the complete-game shutout effort. The sophomore starter had not tossed a complete game or a shutout in 13 previous collegiate starts for Saint Joseph's.
With a 2-3 effort at the plate, Lorenc was the game's lone repeat hitter. For the Monks, the win was the team's first 1-0 triumph since defeating Rivier College by the narrowest of margins at Mahaney Diamond on April 9th, 2007.
Chamblee, now 2-1 on the season, allowed one earned run off four hits and a walk with two strikeouts in the loss.
GAME TWO
The SJC sticks opened with a better start in the nightcap as Campbell led off the bottom of the first with a sharply-hit double to right center, but the fleet-afoot infielder was stranded at third base.
The Monks went on to take the lead in their next turn, however, as freshman left fielder Alex Markakis (Lynnfield, MA) singled up the middle with two out and later scored on an infield error.
The Terriers managed to tie the game with a run off three hits in the top of the fifth. With two out, right fielder Daniel Ierardi '14 (Dunstable, MA) notched an infield single, advanced to third when center fielder Cody Vigue '13 (Skowhegan, ME) doubled to right and scored on a Richardson infield hit to knot the contest at one apiece.
Saint Joseph's managed to complete the sweep by scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth inning. SJC third baseman Dan Brown '12 (Portland, ME/Deering) worked a two-out walk and was lifted in favor of pinch runner Brandon Chase '12 (Naples, ME), who quickly moved up to second on a passed ball and scored on a Markakis single to center field.
Monks reliever Andrew Devereaux '12 (Hope Valley, RI) worked a scoreless seventh with one strikeout and a pair of harmless groundouts to register his first career save.
For St. Joe's, Markakis went 2-3 with a run and an RBI while Campbell and Brown both belted doubles in the triumph. Roberge improves to 3-1 on the year after allowing one earned run off seven hits and a walk.
For Thomas, designated hitter Rob Nutter '12 (Kennebunk, ME) went 3-3 with a double and Sucy, now 2-3 on the season, allowed a pair of unearned runs off seven hits and two walks with three K's in the setback.
With the sweep, Saint Joseph's improves to 49-9 in the history of the series with Thomas College.
Saint Joseph's, now 14-2 since returning to New England after a subpar spring trip, owes most of its recent success to a constantly-improving pitching staff. The staff ERA, which stood at a paltry 6.24 mark after the team's 2-7 start to the season, has steadily decreased and currently sits at 3.84.
Since the southern swing, the Monks' staff has posted a collective 2.60 ERA with 107 strikeouts while allowing 108 hits and 36 walks in 128 innings. Opponents are hitting just .227 (108-476) over the last 16 games.
Saint Joseph's will play at Albertus Magnus College on Thursday in a GNAC twinbill slated to begin at 3:00 PM while Thomas travels to Vermont for a four-game conference set against Castleton College this weekend.
