EAST BOSTON, Mass. – Suffolk University (20-16, 13-1 GNAC) took two games from Saint Joseph's College (25-10, 9-3 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) baseball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. In the opener, the Rams rallied from an early deficit to defeat the Monks by an 8-5 score and completed the sweep with an 8-6 nightcap triumph.
GAME ONE – Suffolk 8, Saint Joseph's 5:
The Monks jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second, when junior Noah McDaniel (Eliot, Maine) and freshman Luke Johnson (East Hampton, Conn.) posted run-scoring singles and junior Jared Gagne (Dover, N.H.) sent home a pair with a triple to right-center.
The Rams made it a 4-1 game with a run off two hits in the bottom of the second, added two runs off a Blasé Cormier two-bagger in the third, and tied the game with a run off one hit in the bottom of the fourth.
Saint Joseph's reclaimed the lead, albeit short-lived, when junior Greg Emanuelson (Hudson, N.H.) doubled home Anthony DiPrizio (Rochester, N.H.) in the top of the sixth.
Suffolk came out swinging in the sixth with four runs off five hits, including a two-run homer off the bat of freshman Steven Shamnoski (Pittstown, Pa.).
ON THE MOUND:
- Senior Travis Godbout (Portland, Maine) gave up three runs off four hits and four walks with four K's in three innings
- Senior Steven Albert (Worcester, Mass.) took the loss after giving up four runs (three earned) off four hits in 2.1 innings of relief
- Senior Marc Poirier (Lunenburg, Mass.) allowed a run off two hits with a strikeout in 0.2 innings
- Suffolk Starter Ryan Pordes picked up the win after yielding five runs off 10 hits with six K's in a complete-game effort
OFF THE BAT:
- Gagne was 3-4 with a double, a triple and two RBI
- Emanuelson went 3-3 with a run, a double, a triple, and an RBI
- For Suffolk, sophomore Rich Gilbride was 3-3 with two runs and two RBI and Seth Coiley, Cormier, and Shamnoski added two hits apiece
GAME TWO: Suffolk 8, Saint Joseph's 6:
Senior catcher Jacob White (Salem, N.H.) launched his second home run of the season, a solo shot, to lift the Royal Blue to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
Suffolk answered with two runs off two hits in the bottom of the opening frame and added three runs off three hits and an SJC error in the second.
The Monks responded with three runs off three hits in the top of the third, a Gagne posted an RBI triple and scored on a Joey Murphy (Derry, N.H.) base hit to help the visitors cut their deficit to 5-4.
But the Rams countered with three runs on five hits in the fourth to take command of the conference contest.
ON THE MOUND:
- Sophomore starter Roderick Maynard (Baldwin, Maine) suffered the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) off five hits and two walks in 1.2 innings
- Sophomores Simon Gonzalez (Peabody, Mass.), Jonathon Rolfe (Plainville, Mass.), and Weston Bergeron (Lyman, Maine) and freshman Kristian Harris (Salem, N.H.) combined to allow three runs off six hits and three walks with a pair of K's in 4.1 innings of relief
- Suffolk starter Mark Fusco earned the victory after yielding four runs off five hits in four innings
OFF THE BAT:
- Gagne was 1-3 with a run, a triple, and a stolen base
- Murphy went 1-3 with two runs and three steals
- For the Rams, Brady Chant, Greg Speliotis, and Nik San Antonio registered two hits apiece
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's wraps up the GNAC docket with a pair of games at Norwich University tomorrow at 1:00 PM.
