AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Saint Joseph's College (2-5) split a doubleheader with Loras College (5-3) in RussMatt Central Florida Invitational baseball action on Friday. The Monks fell in the opener, 8-4, and salvaged the split with a 6-5 triumph in the nightcap.
LORAS 8, SAINT JOSEPH'S 4:
The Monks kicked off the opener by scoring a run without producing a hit in the top of the first, when freshman Jared Wilhelm (Tolland, Conn.) led off with a walk, stole second, and later crossed the plate on a Luke Stephens (Glastonbury, Conn.) sacrifice fly.
The Duhawks proceeded to score four runs off five hits in the bottom of the frame, when Daniel Rogers (Grayslake, Ill.), Ryan Wohlers (Davenport, Iowa), and Cody Sunny (Eldridge, Iowa) notched RBI knocks to make it a 4-1 game after one inning of play.
Loras duplicated the effort in the bottom of the third with four runs on five hits to stake an 8-1 advantage. Nick DiBenedetto (Lake in the Hills, Ill.), Max McCallum (Aurora, Ill.), and Rogers delivered runs with base hits.
Saint Joseph's was held without a hit until the top of the fifth when Wilhelm led off with a single to center field. Freshman second baseman Jack Moltenbrey (East Longmeadow, Mass.) followed with a walk and both runners scored when junior first baseman Matt Thibault (Nashua, N.H.) roped a double down the left field line. Stephens recorded his second sac fly of the game, scoring Thibault, to account for the 8-4 final score.
ON THE MOUND:
SJC sophomore starter Jason Johnson (Thomaston, Conn.) took the loss after giving up eight runs on nine hits and two walks with three K's over 2.2 innings. Junior Logan Butkins (Scituate, R.I.) closed the door with 3.1 innings of one-hit scoreless relief while fanning three batters.
Loras starter Cameron Nohos (Hobart, Ind.) yielded four runs on two hits and five walks with five punchouts in 4.1 innings before giving way to reliever TJ Boyd, who allowed a hit and struck out one hitter in 2.2 frames.
OFF THE BAT:
- Thibault was 1-2 with a run, a double, and two RBI
- Wilhelm went 1-2 with two runs and a pair of stolen bases
- For the Duhawks, Rogers was 2-3 with a run, two doubles, and two RBI while Sunny and DiBenedetto notched two hits apiece
SAINT JOSEPH'S 6, LORAS 5:
The Duhawks opened the scoring in the closing contest with a run off a pair of hits in the first, as McCallum singled up the middle and Dakota Church (Westchester, Ill.) later sent him home with a double to left.
The Monks answered with two runs on four hits in the bottom of the second, when freshman Terry Morrissey (Andover, Mass.) singled and scored on a base hit from senior Jackson Stanton (Saugus, Mass.), who eventually crossed the plate on a Cliff Ward (Cohasset, Mass.) two-bagger to right-center, lifting the Royal Blue to a 2-1 edge.
St. Joe's claimed some much-needed breathing room in the fourth by scoring four runs off five hits. Morrissey again ignited the offense with a one-out single and came around to score on a base hit off the bat of senior shortstop Zach Miles (Concord, N.H.). Stanton reached with a single and later scored when Moltenbrey worked a bases-loaded walk. Stanton and Ward – who reached with a single – both scored on a base hit off the bat of sophomore Michael Wearne (Ellington, Conn.) to lift the Monks to a 6-1 cushion through four innings.
Loras put up a fight in the end and made it a one-run game by scoring four runs on four hits and an SJC error in the top of the sixth. Mitch Gruber (Lansing, Mich.) posted a two-run double, and Michael Ray (Davenport, Iowa) notched an RBI single to make it a 6-5 game.
The Duhawks threatened again with three hits in the seventh and had runners on first and second with two out, but SJC closer Luke Stephens caught Church looking for a called third strike to complete the game.
ON THE MOUND:
Graduate starting pitcher Matthew Bergeron (Salem, N.H.) picked up his first win of the season after allowing five runs (two earned) on seven hits over 5.1 innings. Freshman southpaw Padraig Mac Seain (Brookline, N.H.) sat down the only batter he faced in the sixth and Stephens worked around four hits in 1.1 scoreless innings to earn his second save of the season.
Loras starter Ryan Wohlers suffered the loss after giving up six runs on 11 hits with five K's in 3.1 innings and reliever Danny Heimer (Frankfort, Ill.) fanned a pair in 2.2 frames of scoreless work.
OFF THE BAT:
- Ward went 3-3 with a double, a run, and an RBI
- Morrissey, Wearne, and Stanton all went 2-3
- For Loras, Ray was 3-3 with an RBI while McCallum, Rogers, and Max Cullen (Joliet, Ill.) added two hits apiece
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the split, Saint Joseph's is now 2-2 all-time versus Loras College, a team the Monks last played during the 2010 spring trip.
NEXT!
St. Joe's closes out the 2023 southern swing with a 9:30 AM game versus Grove City College in Lakeland at Lake Bonny Field #2.
