AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Saint Joseph's College (1-3) opened the 2024 spring trip with a pair of losses to Saint Mary's University (MN) (6-4) at Lake Myrtle Field #5 in RussMatt Central Florida Invitational baseball action on Saturday. Saint Mary's prevailed in the opener, 4-2, and completed the sweep with an 11-3 nightcap triumph.

In the opener, Saint Mary's produced all the offense they needed in the first inning, when the Cardinals plated four runs off six hits (five singles) to stake the early lead. Grad starting pitcher Matthew Bergeron (Salem, N.H.) settled in thereafter and allowed just one hit over the following six frames, but the damage had already been done.

The SJC offense finally came to life in the bottom of the sixth with two runs on one hit and a Saint Mary's error. Junior third baseman Michael Wearne (Ellington, Conn.) doubled in junior second baseman Logan Dee (Laconia, N.H.) and scored when the following batter, sophomore center fielder Jared Wilhelm (Tolland, Conn.) reached on an infield error.

Bergeron suffered the loss despite finishing strong with four runs allowed off seven hits and one walk and five strikeouts over seven innings. Wearne went 1-3 with a run, a double, and an RBI.

In the nightcap, Saint Mary's scored at least one run in each of the first four innings to put the game out of reach. Sophomore starter Padraig Mac Seain (Brookline, N.H.) took the loss after yielding five runs (three earned) on seven hits with three K's in three innings. Sophomores Brendan McCaffrey (Warwick, R.I.) and Dylan Brander (Merrimack, N.H.) and senior Logan Butkins (Scituate, R.I.) combined to allow six runs (five earned) off six hits and six walks with two strikeouts over three innings of relief duty.

Freshman catcher Rhyse Owens (Buxton, Maine) was 2-2 with a pair of singles and an RBI and Wilhelm doubled and scored a run.