STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (15-10, 8-0 GNAC) posted a pair of wins over GNAC-rival Anna Maria College (6-12, 1-5 GNAC) at Larry Mahaney Diamond on Saturday afternoon. The Monks erased a 3-0 deficit in a 6-3 opening victory and trounced the AMCATS, 14-5, in the nightcap.
Today's doubleheader was originally scheduled to take place at Anna Maria's home field, but the AMCATS' diamond remains unplayable, so the coaches agreed upon a change in venue. As a result, the Monks played as the away team at Mahaney Diamond for the fourth time this spring.
GAME ONE
The AMCATS scored all three of their runs in the third inning, but the advantage was short-lived, as the Monks plated a pair in the fourth and another in the sixth to knot the game at three-apiece and pushed three runs across in the top of the seventh to claim the victory.
Anna Maria registered three hits and took advantage of an SJC error in staking a 3-0 lead in the third. With one out, senior David Julian (Sterling, Mass.) worked a five-pitch walk while freshman Nate Frederick (Worcester, Mass.) singled and senior Corey Andrade (Mashpee, Mass.) reached on an error to load the bases. Monks senior starter Alex Valenti (Lawrence, Mass.) fanned sophomore Corey McNair (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and had an 0-2 count on the following batter, sophomore Jonathan Roy (Worcester, Mass.), but the second-year third baseman slipped a single through the left side, scoring Julian and Frederick, and Andrade scored the AMCATS' third run on a single by freshman right fielder Jourdon Wydra (Bristol, Conn.).
Saint Joseph's closed the gap with two runs on a two-out single off the bat of sophomore second baseman Taylor Black (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.) in the top of the fourth. Sophomore designated hitter Dan Donovan (Lynn, Mass.) opened with a seven-pitch walk and moved to third when sophomore center fielder Dennis Meehan (Gardiner, Maine) doubled down the left field line. After sophomore shortstop Max McCoomb (South Berwick, Maine) flew out to shallow right, Black stepped to the plate and drove a base hit through the right side, scoring both Donovan and Meehan to cut the Monks' deficit to 3-2.
St. Joe's tied the game with the help of unselfish at bats in the sixth, when McCoomb opened with an infield single, moved to second on a Black sac bunt, and scampered to third on a Taylor Reuillard (Biddeford, Maine) groundout to second base. Facing a lefty in sophomore Zach Parker (Manchester, N.H.), who entered the game to face Reuillard, senior third baseman Lincoln Sanborn (Standish, Maine) – a switch hitter – turned around to the right side and sent McCoomb home with a double off the base of the wall in left.
The Monks proceeded to tack on three runs off three hits and a pair of Anna Maria miscues in the top of the seventh to account for the 6-3 final. Sophomore first baseman Brett Barbati (Melrose, Mass.) singled and later scored on an infield error for the eventual winning run while McCoomb and Black both produced RBI base hits in the Monks' final turn.
For the Monks, Reuillard was 3-5 with a double, Black went 2-4 with three RBI, Meehan was 2-4 with two runs, a double and a stolen base, and Sanborn added a pair of this with a double and an RBI in four at bats. Valenti did not factor into the decision after allowing three runs (all unearned) off seven hits and a pair of walks with seven K's over five innings. Junior Corey McNamara (West Newbury, Mass.) picked up the win and improves to 2-1 on the season after tossing two perfect innings with four strikeouts.
For the AMCATS, Andrade went 2-4 with a run and sophomore hurler Brenden Matthews (Worcester, Mass.) took the loss after allowing two runs (both unearned) off two hits in 0.2 innings of relief. Junior starter Matthew Leahey (Rutland, Mass.) gave up three runs off eight hits and four walks with five strikeouts and Parker allowed an unearned run off two hits in one inning of relief.
GAME TWO
Saint Joseph's put the nightcap contest to bed early, scoring two in the first and 12 in the second in a convincing 14-5 triumph.
In the first inning, Reuillard singled and scored on a wild pitch and Coyne reached on a fielder's choice and crossed home plate on a Barbati base hit to lift the Royal Blue to a 2-0 cushion.
The Monks batted around twice and scored 12 runs off 10 hits and an Anna Maria error in the top of the second. Sanborn went 2-2 with a double and four RBI, Coyne was 2-2 with a double and three RBI and Reuillard plated a pair with two run-scoring singles in what was perhaps the team's most impressive offensive outburst thus far this season.
For the Monks, eight different players recorded at least one hit in the victory, an effort led by Reuillard, who went 4-4 with three runs and two RBI. Sanborn, Coyne, Barbati and Meehan registered two hits apiece in the lopsided victory.
On the mound, Sanborn won his third-consecutive start after giving up a pair of unearned runs off five hits with six K's over five innings. Freshman righthander Marc Poirier (Lunenburg, Mass.) fanned a pair in a 1-2-3 inning of relief and first-year Philip LeVangie (Hanover, Mass.) allowed three runs (one earned) off four hits in the bottom of the seventh.
For the AMCATS, sophomore Joseph Fahey (Auburn, Mass.) went 2-2 with a double and three RBI, Nate Frederick was 2-4 with a two-base hit and a pair of RBI, and McNair posted a 2-2 performance and scored a run in the losing bid.
Anna Maria starting pitcher Camden Frederick (Worcester, Mass.) took the loss after giving up 12 runs (eight earned) off eight hits and three walks in 1.1 innings while Liam Pickett (Oxford, Mass.) and Matthew Kozlowski (Seymour, Conn.) combined to allow two unearned runs off seven hits while fanning four in 5.2 innings of mop-up duty.
With the sweep, Saint Joseph's improves to 8-2 all-time versus Anna Maria College. The Monks' 14 runs scored in the closing game counts as the most plated by either team in the 10-game history of the matchup.
Both teams resume conference play tomorrow, when the Monks host Norwich University in a twinbill beginning at 1:00 PM and Anna Maria travels to Johnson & Wales University for a GNAC doubleheader starting at 12:00 PM.
#GOMONKS
Follow Saint Joseph's Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram!
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 474-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.
