WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Senior second baseman Drew Healey (Rochester, N.H.) went 3-3 with a home run and three RBI to help lift Saint Joseph's College (2-5) past Illinois College (1-6), 9-8, in RussMatt Central Florida Invitational baseball action on Thursday morning.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Monks scored at least one run in six of the first seven innings with Healey posting RBI singles in the first and second frames and belting a leadoff home run in the top of the sixth.
Leading 9-4 heading into the eighth inning, the Monks allowed four runs off just three hits in the eighth and ninth combined, as a Colin Dearing two-run shot with one out in the ninth making it a one-run game. Thankfully for St. Joe's, junior closer Jonathan Marchia (Chicopee, Mass.) settled in and sat down the next two batters via harmless fly balls to help the Monks earn their first win of the spring trip.
ON THE MOUND:
Sophomore starter Johnathan Flynn (Holden, Mass.) picked up his first win of the season after allowing three runs (one earned) off two hits and two walks with one strikeout over five innings. Senior Jonathan Rolfe (Plainville, Mass.), freshman Colin Jackson (Brentwood, N.H.), and sophomore Matt Soldano (Salem, N.H.) combined to work three innings, yielding three runs off five hits and two walks with a pair of K's, and Marchia wrapped up the win after giving up the two-run blast and two hits overall in the ninth.
For Illinois College, Nolan Struhs falls to 0-2 on the year after allowing seven runs off nine hits and two walks with three K's over four frames. Kole Lowry gave up a run off three hits in one inning of relief and Jake Schippert yielded a run off three hits with three punch-outs in three innings of work.
OFF THE BAT:
- Healey reached base five times and was 3-3 with two runs, a home run, three RBI and a pair of walks
- Freshman shortstop Zach Miles (Concord, N.H.) went 2-3 with two runs, an RBI, and a stolen base
- Junior center fielder Hunter Richardson (Monmouth, Maine) tripled and was 2-4 with an RBI
- For IC, Scott Kasting, Bailey Reed, and Mason Durdel notched two hits apiece
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Today's contest was the first-ever meeting between the Saint Joseph's and Illinois College baseball programs.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will face off against Mitchell College tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM.
