NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Saint Joseph's College (27-11, 10-4 GNAC) split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader with Norwich University (7-22, 7-7 GNAC) on Tuesday afternoon. The Monks won the opener, 4-3 in 10 innings, and fell in the closing contest, 6-5.

GAME ONE – Saint Joseph's 4, Norwich 3:

Saint Joseph's took a 1-0 lead two batters into the contest, as junior center fielder Jared Gagne (Dover, N.H.) led off with a triple and scored when the following hitter, sophomore second baseman Drew Healey (Rochester, N.H.) grounded out to first base.

Norwich responded with two runs off three hits and an SJC error with two out in the bottom of the third, when Kevin Lynch (Randolph, Mass.) and freshman Jacob Parizo (Groton, Conn.) reached with singles with the former touching the plate on an error and the latter scoring on a Gates base hit.

The Monks managed to tie the game, 3-3, in the top of the fifth when freshman shortstop Justin Juliano (Lynnfield, Mass.) singled and later scored on a Healey base hit.

With neither team mounting a scoring threat over the next two innings, the contest headed for extra play and the Monks seemed to clinch victory in the top of the eighth when Healey reached on an error and was lifted in favor of freshman pinch runner Luke Johnson (East Hampton, Conn.), who eventually scored on a sac fly off the bat of senior catcher Jacob White (Salem, N.H.).

But the Cadets responded in kind in the bottom of the eighth, as Lynch reached on an infield miscue and scored the tying run when Ed Gates (Griswold, Conn.) grounded out to first with one out.

St. Joe's finally put the game away with a run in the top of the 10th, when freshman Kevin Aylward (East Bridgewater, Mass.) worked a lead-off walk and later scored on a well-executed safety squeeze by Johnson.

ON THE MOUND:

• SJC sophomore starter Luke Klenda (Yarmouth, Maine) did not factor into the decision but threw well, allowing two runs (one earned) off four hits with six K's over seven innings
• Freshman reliever Jonathan Marchia (Chicopee, Mass.) picked up the victory after giving up an unearned run and one hit with a pair of punch-outs over two innings
• Senior Marc Poirier (Lunenburg, Mass.) earned the save after fanning two of the three batters he faced in the bottom of the 10th
• Norwich sophomore starter Nick Landis (South Berwick, Maine) tossed eight strong innings, allowing three runs (two earned) off six hits with four K's
• Sophomore CJ Davis (South Berwick, Maine) took the loss after allowing a run off a hit and a walk with two strikeouts in two innings of work

OFF THE BAT:

• Gagne went 3-5 with a run and a triple
• Healey was 1-4 with a pair of RBI
• For Norwich, Parizo was 3-4 with a run and a double and Gates knocked in a pair

GAME TWO – Norwich 6, Saint Joseph's 5:

The Monks claimed an early lead again in the nightcap, as Healey belted a solo home run – his first career jack – with one out in the top of the first.

Saint Joseph's tacked on two more runs in the top of the third, when freshman third baseman Hunter Richardson (North Monmouth, Mass.) was hit by a pitch, stole second, and later scored on a safety squeeze executed by Johnson. With two out, Healey singled and eventually came home on a White single, making it a 3-0 game in favor of the Monks.

The three-run cushion evaporated quickly however, as Norwich senior second baseman Drew Caldwell (Hanover, Mass.) knocked in three with a bases-loaded double.

The Cadets took the lead in the fourth, when junior catcher Chris Leach (Vergennes, Vt.) hit his first career home run, a solo blast, with two out.

Norwich grabbed a 6-3 lead with two runs off two hits in the bottom of the fifth when sophomore Brady Doherty (Sandwich, Mass.) came to the plate with the bases juiced and roped a two-run single to right field.

The Monks threatened to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Johnson led off with a walk and moved to second on a groundout to the right side. He looked to score when junior first baseman Noah McDaniel (Eliot, Maine) singled to right, but was cut down at home with a nice throw by Norwich freshman right fielder Nate Gehringer (Northampton, Penn.) to end the game.

ON THE MOUND:

• Sophomore Troy Bogdahn (Hollis, Maine), making his first career start, suffered the loss after allowing six runs off five hits and two walks with three strikeouts over four innings
• Poirier gave up a hit and a walk with two K's in two innings of relief
• Norwich senior starter Leland Goodenough (Brookfield, Vt.) earned the win after giving up five runs (four earned) off five hits with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings
• Freshman Chris Henderson (Stafford, Va.) gave up a hit in 2/3 inning of relief
• Gates picked up his second save of the season after allowing a hit and two walks in an inning of work

OFF THE BAT:

• McDaniel was 3-4 with a run scored
• Healey went 2-4 with two runs and a solo homer
• Richardson reached base three times and was 1-1 with a run, two RBI, and a pair of steals
• For Norwich, Lynch went 2-4 with two runs and a double, Caldwell was 1-2 with a double and three RBI, and Doherty added a hit and two RBI in two at-bats

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

With the split, Saint Joseph's is now 21-1 in the history of the series with Norwich University.

NEXT!

As the #2 seed in the GNAC Tournament, Saint Joseph's will play the winner of the #3 Johnson & Wales University / #6 Anna Maria College first-round winner on Thursday, first pitch TBD. The Cadets have earned the #5 seed with the split versus the Monks and will play at #4 Lasell College tomorrow at 5:30 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.