STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (26-16) and Bates College (16-18) split a hard fought non-conference doubleheader at Larry Mahaney Diamond on Wednesday evening. The Monks posted a walk-off 8-7 triumph in the opener and the Bobcats rallied from a 3-1 deficit to eventually win the nightcap by a 5-4 score in 13 innings.

In the first game, Saint Joseph's trailed 7-5 heading into their last turn at the bat­ and managed to plate three runs off just one hit with the help of a Bobcats error to walk off with a wild finish. With one out, sophomore Brett Barbati (Melrose, Mass.) walked, sophomore Scott Betts (Peabody, Mass.) was hit by a pitch, and second-year Dennis Meehan (Gardiner, Maine) worked a four-pitch free pass to load the bases for sophomore Dan Donovan (Lynn, Mass.), who reached with a fielder's choice on a play that allowed senior Anthony Zawistowski (Otisville, N.Y.) – pinch running for Barbati – to score.

With the bases still loaded and the hosts down 7-6, sophomore Max McCoomb (South Berwick, Maine) stepped to the plate and poked a single through the right side that was eventually tracked down by junior second baseman Conor Reenstierna (Lincoln, Mass.), who bobbled the ball in shallow right, a miscue that allowed Meehan to tap the plate with the winning run after Betts scored on the base hit.

Meehan was 2-2 with two runs, a triple and two RBI in the opener while junior pitcher Corey McNamara (West Newbury, Mass.) picked up his third win of the season after getting the final out of the seventh for the Monks. Sophomore Matt Wojciak (Merrimack, N.H.) started the game on the hill but did not factor into the decision after allowing five runs off three hits and four walks with a pair of K's in 3.2 innings. Freshman Steven Albert (Worcester, Mass.), sophomore Thomas Fortier (Falmouth, Maine) and junior Riley Cox (Westford, Mass.) combined to toss two innings of relief, yielding two runs (one earned) off three hits with a walk and a punch out in the victory.

For Bates, Even Czopek (Portland, Ore.) was 2-3 with a run, a double and an RBI and senior Nate Pajka (Douglass, Mass.) went 1-2 with a three-run homer. Junior reliever Mark Cunningham (Canton, Mass.) was hit with the loss after giving up three runs (one earned) off a hit and three walks in two innings of work. Freshman southpaw Connor Russell (Cumberland, Maine) earned the start and surrendered four runs (three earned) off six hits and a walk while senior Aidan Sullivan (Yarmouth, Maine) allowed a run off one hit and a pair of free passes in 1/3 inning of work.

Those in attendance or watching from home would never have guessed that the closing contest would feature a wilder finish than the first, as Saint Joseph's maintained a 3-1 lead heading into the top of the seventh but fell 5-4 six innings later in what turned out to be the Monks' longest game in recent memory.

With the Royal Blue up by two in the top of the seventh, things changed quickly in what was scheduled to be the Bobcats' final turn at the plate, as sophomore centerfielder belted a one-out double to left-center and promptly scored when senior Rockwell Jackson (Fort Worth, Texas) singled up the middle and Pajka followed with his second jack of the night, a two-run shot over the right field fence, to lift his team to a 4-3 lead.

The Monks managed to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh, when senior third baseman Lincoln Sanborn (Standish, Maine) singled up the middle and scored on a Taylor Reuillard (Biddeford, Maine) two-out double to left-center.

The 4-4 deadlock remained until the top of the 13th, but Saint Joseph's had several prime opportunities to record another walk-off win. The bases were loaded with Monks in the bottom of the ninth and St. Joe's had runners in scoring position in the 10th and 11th frames, but failed to capitalize in both instances.

In the 11th, junior hurler Chris Ward (Pasadena, Calif.) – the Bobcats' last pitching option - entered the game on the hill and the 6'8 righthander essentially shut the Monks down, allowing just one hit – a Reuillard single with two down in the 11th – over three innings of outstanding relief.

In an interesting twist, Ward also drove in what turned out to be the game winning run in the 13th. With one out and runners on first and third, McNamara intentionally walked Pajka to load the bases for Ward, who was forced to hit in the big situation since the Bobcats did not have another available pitcher on the trip. With the corners in and the middle infielders playing at double play depth, Ward swung at the first pitch he saw and hit a chopper to second, a ball hit too weakly for a double play to be turned. As a result, John Dinucci (West Hartford, Conn.), who led off the frame with a single through the left side, reached the plate on the infield groundout.

With Ward dealing, the Monks went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 13th, falling 5-4 in a non-conference doubleheader split.

For the Monks, Reuillard went 4-6 with a run, a double, two RBI and three stolen bases and McCoomb was 2-5 in the disappointing setback. Sophomore pitcher Nick Malatesta (Wrentham, Mass.) started on the mound but did not play into the decision after allowing an unearned run off three hits and four walks with five strikeouts over 4.1 innings. McNamara kept the Monks' hopes alive by working 6.2 innings of relief, but suffered the loss after allowing four runs off 10 hits and a pair of walks with 10 strikeouts. Fortier, Cox and freshman Joshua Partridge (Deerfield, N.H.) combined to work two innings of one-hit relief with three punch-outs.

For the Bobcats, McCarthy, Jackson and Pajka tallied two hits apiece while Ward earned the win after tossing three innings of one-hit relief with four strikeouts. Senior Dillon Dresser (Falmouth, Maine) started on the mound for the visitors and gave up three runs (two earned) off six hits and a walk in four innings while Rob DiFranco (Melrose, Mass.) and Andrew Freeman (Newton, Mass.) worked collectively to allow a run off five hits and four walks with a pair of K's over six innings of work.

Still among those in contention for an NCAA Tournament at-large berth (announced late Sunday evening/early Monday morning), Saint Joseph's will host NEWMAC Champion MIT for a single nine-inning game on Thursday at 4:30 PM. The contest will be the Monks' regular season finale

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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 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.