Monks Top Pitt-Greensburg, Fall to Ramapo, in North Carolina

Monks Top Pitt-Greensburg, Fall to Ramapo, in North Carolina

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Saint Joseph's College (1-5) split a pair of games on Saturday afternoon, opening the day with an 8-3 win over University of Pittsburgh Greensburg (0-2) before falling to Ramapo College (2-0), 4-2, at J.P. Riddle Stadium.

 

Saint Joseph's 8, Pitt.-Greensburg 3

Saint Joseph's wasted no time securing the lead, as the Royal Blue took advantage of a hit batsman, two walks and a passed ball to take a 1-0 edge in the bottom of the first. Senior Joe Coyne (Duxbury, Mass.) who was plunked by an errant pitch, advanced to second on a free pass, scampered to third on a fielder's choice, and scored when a pitch got past junior catcher Anthony Bozzuto (Greensburg, Pa.) to put the Monks on top.

The Bobcats tied the game in the third when sophomore Dylan Pounds (Houston, Pa.) singled and later scored on a bases-loaded walk earned by senior Chad Jacob (Bridgeville, Pa.). Senior hurler Alex Valenti (Lawrence, Mass.) worked out of a one-out, bases loaded jam by fanning two batters to close out the frame.

The Monks put up a four spot in the bottom of the third, as Black led off with a double down the left field line and scored on a single by Coyne, who also scored when the following batter, sophomore first baseman Brett Barbati (Melrose, Mass.) reached on an infield error. With two out, Barbati scored when sophomore right fielder Scott Betts (Peabody, Mass.) reached on an infield miscue. Up next was freshman catcher Jacob White (Salem, N.H.), who plated Betts with a single to right to lift St. Joe's to a 5-1 cushion through three innings.

Saint Joseph's plated a pair in the fifth, when sophomore center fielder Dennis Meehan (Gardiner, Maine) doubled to left center and later scored on a single by sophomore second baseman Mike Kinch (Newton, Mass.) and Betts, who reached via base on balls, crossed the plate on a Black single.

The Monks tacked on their eighth run of the day with two out in the bottom of the sixth, as Meehan singled through the left side and scored on a deep double off the bat of Betts, making it an 8-1 game through six.

The Bobcats tagged sophomore reliever Nick Malatesta (Wrentham, Mass.) with two runs off two hits in the top of the seventh, as junior Greg Lynn (Ellwood City, Pa.) singled and Pounds walked and both players scored when Jacob singled to right field, accounting for the 8-3 final.

For the Monks, Black was 3-5 with a run, a double and an RBI, Coyne went 3-4 with two runs and an RBI, and Meehan was 2-4 with two runs scored and a two-bagger. On the mound, Valenti picked up his first win of the season after allowing one run off four hits and four walks with seven strikeouts in six innings. Malatesta surrendered two runs off three hits and a pair of free passes in 1.2 innings of relief and junior slinger Riley Cox (Westford, Mass.) tossed 1.1 perfect frames with a pair of K's to close out the game.

Jacob went 2-3 with three RBI in the loss for Pitt.-Greensburg while junior pitcher Brandon Rowland (Greensburg, Pa.) took the loss on the hill after yielding five runs (one earned) off four hits and a pair of walks in three innings. Junior Matt Moyer (Greensburg, Pa.) gave up three runs off eight hits in three innings of relief while freshman Cohl Gibbs (Williamstown, N.J.) and junior Adam Dodson (Bethel Park, Pa.) finished the contest with an inning of scoreless work apiece.

 

Ramapo 4, Saint Joseph's 2

The Monks fell short in what turned out to be a pitcher's duel in the nightcap, as SJC senior southpaw Dan Meeken (Marshfield, Mass.) and Ramapo senior Tom Portesy (Flanders, N.J.), who struck out a career-high 14 batters, locked heads for the better part of the afternoon.

The Roadrunners broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth when senior Scott Peschiani (Harriman, N.Y.) led off with a double and scored on a Scott Paulus (Washington, N.J.) base hit to right field.

Ramapo made it a 4-0 game with three runs off three hits and a Saint Joseph's error in the top of the fifth. Meeken nearly escaped a bases-loaded, one out scenario with a double play ball, but an error on the play allowed two runs to score. Ramapo tacked on another run on a single by senior Chris Werr (Pequannock, N.J.), a base knock that resulted in a pitching change for the Monks, as freshman Christopher Gerossie (Chester, N.H.) came on and shut the door with a strikeout.

Saint Joseph's finally broke through in the fifth with a pair of runs off two hits, a walk, a hit batsman and a wild pitch. Junior left fielder Taylor Reuillard (Biddeford, Maine) opened the inning with a single to left-center and scored three batters later when pinch-hitter Dan Donovan (Lynn, Mass.) lined a single to left field. Sophomore Jameson Collins (Sandown, N.H.), who reached with a walk, sprinted across the plate on a wild pitch, but the Monks failed to capitalize with runners on second and third with two out, as Coyne flew out to center to end the inning.

The Monks mounted one last rally in the bottom of the eighth when sophomore shortstop Max McCoomb (South Berwick, Maine) and Black opened the frame with consecutive singles, but Portesy bore down, inducing a fly out to center and fanning two batters to cancel the effort.

Black and Reuillard were the only repeat-hitters for the Monks, as both notched two hits apiece in the loss. Meeken suffered the hard-luck loss after allowing four runs off seven hits and three walks with six K's in 4.2 innings. Gerossie scattered a pair of hits with two punch-outs in 2.1 innings and junior Corey McNamara (West Newbury, Mass.) fanned two in a pair of scoreless frames.

Saint Joseph's closes out the four-game North Carolina trip tomorrow with a 9:00 AM contest versus Ramapo.

 

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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.