WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Saint Joseph's College (1-1) baseball team kicked off the 2022 season with a doubleheader versus Illinois College (2-3) at the Chain of Lakes Complex in RussMatt Central Florida Invitational action on Sunday afternoon.
The Monks took one on the chin in the opener, falling by a 19-2 score, but rebounded nicely with a well-played 5-4 triumph in the nightcap to escape opening day at .500.
GAME ONE:
Illinois College put the first game out of reach early, as the Blueboys plated seven runs off four hits and three walks in the top of the first inning.
The Monks scored their first run of the year in the bottom of the fifth, when junior catcher Jonathan Dube (Rochester, N.H.) singled and later crossed the plate on a two-out single off the bat of junior shortstop Zach Miles (Concord, N.H.).
Freshman Logan Dee (Laconia, N.H.) plated first-year outfielder Peter O'Brien (Scarborough, Maine) with a single in the bottom of the seventh.
SJC junior starting pitcher Samuel Jalbert (Mascouche, Que.) took the loss after yielding seven runs off four hits and three walks with a pair of K's in 2/3 of an inning. Freshman Hugh Barrett (Durham, Conn.) was sharp in 3.1 innings of relief with three punch-outs and one run allowed off three hits. Relievers Anthony Esposito (Orange, Conn.), Kyle MacKay (Dracut, Mass.), and Sean McDonough (Concord, N.H.) all logged time on the mound in the setback.
For Illinois College, starter Cullen McBride earned the win after giving up a run off three hits with 11 strikeouts in five innings. Kellen Blum was 3-for-5 with two runs, a home run, and six RBI and Peyton Abbott went 2-for2 with three runs, a homer, and three RBI in the triumph.
GAME TWO:
The Blueboys claimed an early lead in the nightcap when shortstop Griffin King roped an RBI single in the bottom of the second, but the Monks tied the contest in the top of the third when grad student Ben Gravel (Rochester, N.H.) doubled home senior second baseman Ronan Chisholm (North Chatham, Mass.).
The Monks grabbed their first lead of the day in the top of the fourth, as sophomore pitcher Luke Stephens (Glastonbury, Conn.) led off with a triple and promptly scored when the next batter, junior catcher Jackson Stanton (Saugus, Mass.), ripped another three-bagger. Freshman right fielder Jordan Valentino (Simsbury, Conn.) sent Stanton home with a double to deep left and later scored on a base hit to left, making it a 4-1 game.
The Blueboys chipped away at their deficit with two runs off three hits in the fifth and tied the game on a McBride single in the bottom of the sixth, but St. Joe's scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the top of the seventh, when Chisholm reached on an error and later crossed the plate on a Stanton sac fly.
Illinois College made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh as two singles resulted in runners on second and third with two out, but SJC senior reliever Devan Harrison (Pocasset, Mass.) escaped the jam with a harmless infield pop-up.
Stephens pitched well but did not factor into the decision after giving up a run on one hit and three walks with four K's in three innings of work. Senior Johnny Flynn (Holden, Mass.) and freshman Jason Johnson (Thomaston, Conn.) were effective in relief and Harrison picked up the victory after scattering three hits with one strikeout in 1.2 scoreless innings.
Illinois reliever Andrew Wieneke was hit with the loss after allowing an unearned run off a hit and a free pass in one inning.
Stanton led the SJC offense by going 2-for-3 with a run, a triple, and two RBI and Stephens went 2-for-4 with a run and a triple. O'Brien reached base three times with a single and two walks and Chisholm was 1-for-3 with a pair of runs.
For the Blueboys, McBride went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI in the setback.
Saint Joseph's is back in action tomorrow with a nine-inning game versus Mount Union. First pitch is slated for 9:30 AM.
