HARWICH, MA - #2 Western New England (40-9) defeated #6 Saint Joseph's (31-14), 4-1, on Thursday in Game 8, the second winners' bracket game of the day, of the 2011 NCAA Division III New England Regional Baseball Championship at Whitehouse Field.

With the victory the Golden Bears, who reached the 40-win plateau for the first time in program history, remain in the winners' bracket and will play #8 Bridgewater State in a battle of unbeaten teams tomorrow at 4:00 PM. The Monks will play top-seeded Tufts University at 1:00 PM on Friday in an elimination game.

Mike Pratt, who had three hits, staked Saint Joseph's to a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning with a solo home run over the left field fence. Pratt also doubled in the second when the left fielder lost the ball in the lights on a foggy night. Ian Lee was 2-4 and Nate Martin went 2-3 in the loss.

Andrew Fatse led the Western New England 12-hit attack by going 4-for-4 with two runs scored. Tim Clark contributed two hits.

The Golden Bears added two insurance runs on a fielding error in the sixth inning and Kyle McKelvey had an RBI-single in the eighth.

Starter Zach Cloft (8-2) worked eight innings for the win, scattering seven hits and walking one. He struck out nine to tie a career high, fanning five of the last six batters he faced. Mike Lawlor pitched a scoreless ninth with a strikeout for his 10th save of the season.

Sam Murray (2-1) suffered the loss for St. Joe's after allowing three runs off eight hits in five innings of work.

COURTESY OF ECAC SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS