AUBURNDALE, FL – Saint Joseph's College (3-0) posted a pair of 8-3 victories over Clark University (0-2) in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
GAME ONE
The Monks, with eight runs off 12 hits in the opening contest, never trailed with two runs in the top of the third, four in the fifth and six in the sixth to offset the Cougars' lone run in the bottom of the third and pair of scores in the fifth. All eight of the SJC runs were scored with two out.
Senior Alex Lorenc (Nanuet, N.Y.) provided the big hit with two outs in the third. Senior catcher Willie Brown (Fayette, Maine) and freshman shortstop Max McCoomb (South Berwick, Maine) both worked walks and sophomore second sacker Zack Graham (Marlborough, Mass.) was plunked to load the bases for the senior slugger, who ripped a double to center, scoring Brown and McCoomb to lift the Royal Blue to a 2-0 lead.
St. Joe's starting pitcher Lincoln Sanborn (Standish, Maine), who allowed a single in the second but faced the minimum through two frames, allowed a run off two Clark hits in the bottom of the third. The senior induced a harmless fly out to left to wiggle out of a scenario with runners on second and third with two out.
The Monks claimed control of the contest by scoring four runs off five hits in the fifth frame. Sophomore Tim Beaudette (Uxbridge, Mass.) walked and moved to third on a McCoomb double to center. Following a Graham groundout, Lorenc knocked home another pair to make it a 4-1 game. Junior Nic Lops (South Portland, Maine/Cheverus) slammed a triple down the right field line, scoring Lorenc, and scampered home when the following batter, junior Joe Coyne (Duxbury, Mass.) singled up the middle.
The Cougars made it a 6-3 game with two runs off two hits in the fifth, but Saint Joseph's responded in kind with a pair of runs of two knocks in the sixth to all but seal the victory. Following the two-out theme, the Monks had the bases full with two down and Lops at the plate and the junior came through with a two-run single up the middle to account for the 8-3 final.
For the Monks, McCoom was 3-4 with two runs and a double, Lorenc drove in four and was 2-4 with a run and a two-bagger and Lops went 2-4 with a run, three RBI and a triple. Sanborn, making his first start on the hill since the 2012 NCAA New England Regional, allowed three runs of five hits with four K's in five innings to earn the victory. Sophomore reliever Corey McNamara (West Newbury, Mass.) retired all six batters he faced in two innings of work and struck out one.
Shortstop Adam Chochre, who was 2-3 with two runs and a pair of doubles, was the lone repeat-hitter for the Cougars. Starting pitcher Derek Dubois yielded six runs off seven hits and three walks while fanning four over five frames to take the loss.
GAME TWO
The Monks wasted little time in establishing a sizeable lead in the nightcap, as the Royal Blue put five on the board off two hits and three Clark fielding errors in the bottom of the first.
McCoomb led off the inning and reached on an error, Lorenc walked and Coyne singled to right to load the bases for freshman Brett Barbati (Melrose, Mass.), who notched his first NCAA RBI with a free pass. Lorenc scored on an Alex Markakis (Lynnfield, Mass.) sac fly to right and Barbati and Coyne both crossed the plate on a ball that was hit by freshman Cejay Suarez (Abington, Mass.) was misplayed. After freshman Jameson Collins (Sandown, N.H.) posted his first collegiate hit – a single to the left side – first-year Taylor Black (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.) reached on an error, which allowed Suarez to score the Monks' fifth run.
The 5-0 lead remained until the Monks tacked on another in the fourth when senior Louie Vigars (Stratham, N.H.) walked and later scored on a Barbati double play ball.
The Cougars finally found the board in the top of the fifth, scoring twice off three hits with two out. David Eschen and James Conway reached with singles and Andrew Dooli drove both players home with a triple down the right field line.
Clark made it a 6-3 game with a run scored on a passed ball in the sixth, but the Monks put the game on ice with a pair of runs off two hits in the bottom of the inning. Lorenc led off the frame with a single through the left side, stole second and scored on a Coyne single. Coyne later scored when Mike Kinch (Newton, Mass.) hit into a 4-6-3 double play to close out the game scoring with the Monks owning an 8-3 lead.
Coyne went 4-4 with a pair of runs and an RBI and was the Monks' lone repeat-hitter in the victory. Junior Alex Valenti (Lawrence, Mass.) collected the winning decision after allowing two runs off seven hits and a pair of walks while fanning four in five innings. Freshmen Thomas Fortier (Falmouth, Maine) and Tyler Neville (Orono, Maine) made their collegiate debuts in the win, as the former allowed an unearned run off two hits with a walk and a strikeout and the latter tossed a perfect frame with a punch out.
Daniel Lima went 2-4 with a stolen base and Doolie tripled and knocked in a pair in the losing effort for the Cougars. Starting pitcher Austin Knief took the loss after allowing six runs (two earned) off five hits and five walks in three innings of work. Jack Kenney tossed three effective innings in relief, yielding two runs (one earned) off three hits with a strikeout to close out the contest.
With the sweep, the Monks improve to 4-1 in the history of the series with Clark University, a program the Royal Blue has not played since the 2010 spring trip.
Saint Joseph's will close out the four-game southern swing with a single nine-inning game versus Aurora University at 10:00 AM on Sunday.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
