AUBURNDALE, FL – #17 Wheaton College (4-0) swept a non-conference doubleheader with Saint Joseph's College (4-2) with 5-2 and 3-1 victories in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on Sunday morning.

Facing a New England program noted for fine pitching, the Monks recorded just three total hits in the two games versus the Lyons and rapped just one knock – a two-run single by freshman shortstop Max McCoomb (South Berwick, Maine) – in the opener.

Prior to this morning, the Monks had not been one-hit since Derek McIntosh '05 registered the only hit in a 3-0 loss to Ohio-Dominican in an NAIA East Coast Super Regional contest on May 16th, 2002. St. Joe's played 483 games between the one-hit performances.

GAME ONE

Junior Mike Gibbons (Simsbury, Conn.) was the story in the opener for Wheaton, as the righthander carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and allowed two unearned runs with seven strikeouts to collect his first win of the season. Sophomore Eric Dumas (Brookline, Mass.) worked a perfect eighth and senior Ryan Grant (Easton, Mass.) earned his second save of the year with a hitless ninth.

Senior Lincoln Sanborn (Standish, Maine) was nearly as dominant in his second start of the year, but did not factor into the decision after yielding two runs off six hits with eight K's over seven frames. Junior Dan Meeken (Marshfield, Mass.) took the loss in relief while sophomores Corey McNamara (West Newbury, Mass.) and Riley Cox (Westford, Mass.) closed out the contest with an inning apiece.

The Lyons got on the board with a run off a pair of hits with two out in the top of the first. Sophomore right fielder Matt Lavanchy (Walpole, Mass.) reached with an infield single, stole second and scored when senior first baseman Apolinar De La Cruz (Providence, R.I.) singled to right-center to push Wheaton to an early 1-0 lead.

The slim cushion held until the fifth when senior left fielder Kevin Foley (Southbury, Conn.) led off with a single and later scored on a wild pitch.

Trailing 2-0, the Monks finally broke through offensively and tied the game off McCoomb's base hit in the bottom of the fifth. Junior catcher Joe Coyne (Duxbury, Mass.) opened the frame and reached on an infield error. The next two batters failed to reach, but Coyne stole second, sophomore left fielder Tim Beaudette (Uxbridge, Mass.) walked and senior center fielder Louie Vigars (Stratham, N.H.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases for the rookie shortstop, who drove a 1-0 offering through the left side to make it a 2-2 game after five.

The wheels fell off for the Monks in the top of the eighth, as the Royal Blue fell victim to an infield error and a base on balls, plays that led to a three-run inning for the Lyons. With Meeken on the hill, Lavanchy led off and reached on a miscue and De La Cruz followed with a walk. Sophomore Mike Beneduce (North Kingstown, R.I.) entered as a pinch hitter and dropped a sac bunt, moving both runners up a base, and Saint Joseph's opted to intentionally walk Brett Fontaine (Newburyport, Mass.) to load the bases, creating a force out at every bag. The strategy backfired however, as junior outfielder Tyler Contillo (Montville, Conn.), who entered as a pinch hitter, turned on a 1-2 pitch and cleared the bases with a double down the left field line.

The Monks threatened in the bottom of the ninth as the first two batters – junior Nic Lops (South Portland, Maine/Cheverus) and Coyne - both worked walks off Grant, but the senior closer settled in, inducing a double play and a fly out to end the game.

GAME TWO

The Monks' bats continued to be silent in the nightcap, as freshman lefty Michael Bruemmel (Bridgewater, Mass.) faced the minimum through 5.2 frames in his collegiate debut. Senior catcher Jack Reilly (Worcester, Mass.) broke up the perfect-game effort with two out in the sixth with a single through the right side.

Junior starter Alex Valenti (Lawrence, Mass.) suffered the setback after giving up three runs (two earned) off eight hits with six K's in six innings.

The Lyons struck first again in the closing contest, scoring a run off two hits and an SJC error in the bottom of the opening inning. After a slick 6-4-3 double play, Lavanchy reached on a fielding error, stole second and scored on a De La Cruz base hit to make it a 1-0 game.

Wheaton doubled the lead with a run in the fourth when Fontaine scored on a wild pitch and tacked on another when Lavanchy scored on a Fontaine triple in the fifth.

The Monks found the board in the eighth when freshman Cejay Suarez (Abington, Mass.) reached on an error and sophomore Taylor Reuillard (Biddeford, Maine) scored on the play.

With the losses, Saint Joseph's falls to 3-8 in the history of the series with Wheaton College.

The Monks resume play on Monday with a single nine-inning game versus New Jersey City University at 9:00 AM on Monday.

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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.