STANDISH, Maine – University of Southern Maine (15-7, 4-0 LEC) defeated #20/21 Saint Joseph's College (18-3, 4-0 GNAC), 10-4, in non-conference baseball action at Larry Mahaney Diamond on Thursday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Southern Maine struck right away with two runs in the top of the first, as sophomore right fielder Zach Quintal (Eliot, Maine) tripled to right and, two batters later, junior first baseman Sam Stauble (Harrison, Maine) lined a two-run homer, the first jack of his career, off the scoreboard in left field. The Huskies plated single runs in the second and third and, in the fourth, secured a 6-0 lead when senior third baseman Matt Bender (Walpole, Mass.) and Stauble notched run-scoring singles.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Monks got on the board with two runs off two hits and two USM errors, but Quintal recorded an RBI single in the sixth and scored two runs off three hits – including a solo homer off the bat of freshman left fielder Dylan Hapworth (Winslow, Maine) - in the seventh to put the game out of reach.
Saint Joseph's committed seven errors - the team's highest miscue total since making seven versus New Jersey City University on March 25th, 2012 - leading to five unearned runs and the Monks were held hitless through four innings with 11 runners left on base in the loss.
With the result, USM extends their winning streak to eight games, while Saint Joseph's sees a 12-game winning string snapped. The Monks' last loss, an 8-6 setback at the hands of Illinois-Wesleyan on March 11th, was over a month ago.
ON THE MOUND – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Sophomore Grayson Jennings (Mililani, Hawaii) took the loss and falls to 1-1 on the season after allowing three runs (two earned) off three hits in 1.1 innings
- Junior Travis Godbout (Portland, Maine) yielded six runs (three earned) off eight hits with four strikeouts in five innings
- Junior Marc Poirier (Lunenburg, Mass.) gave up a hit in 2/3 inning of relief
- Freshman Matt Demma (Worcester, Mass.) allowed an unearned run off a hit with two punch outs over two frames of relief
ON THE MOUND – SOUTHERN MAINE:
- Senior starter Tyler Leavitt (North Andover, Mass.) improved to 2-0 after allowing two runs off two hits and three walks with one strikeout in five innings
- Senior Tom Fortier (Falmouth, Mass.) gave up a run off three hits and a walk with four K's in two innings
- Sophomore pitchers Matt Correale (Peabody, Mass.) and Jake Dexter (Oakland, Maine) combined to allow an unearned run off two hits with a pair of K's in two innings of relief
OFF THE BAT – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Senior third baseman Taylor Black (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.) doubled and drove in a run
- Sophomore shortstop Joey Murphy (Derry, N.H.) registered an RBI double
OFF THE BAT – SOUTHERN MAINE:
- Quintal went 3-5 with two runs, a triple, and an RBI
- Stauble was 2-5 with a solo homer and three RBI
- Dexter added two hits with a double and an RBI in four at-bats
- Sophomore center fielder Devin Warren (Smithfield, Maine) went 2-4 with a run, a double, and an RBI
- Senior designated hitter Paul McDonough (Wells, Maine) was 2-5 with a two-bagger and a run scored
NEXT!
The Monks are back at it tomorrow with a non-conference game at Nichols College starting at 3:30 PM. The Huskies will host Little East Conference (LEC) rival Rhode Island College Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 PM.
#GOMONKS
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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.
