AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Saint Joseph's College (2-5) recorded 16 hits – including five doubles and two triples – in a 13-6 victory over Emerson College (3-4) in RussMatt Central Florida baseball action on Wednesday morning.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The former conference rivals swapped scores on sac flies in the first inning and the Monks opened up a 5-1 lead with four runs off three hits in the bottom of the second. Freshman Vinny O'Leary (North Quincy, Mass.) provided the big blow with a bases-loaded triple with two out.
The lead quickly disappeared however, as the Lions took advantage of two SJC errors to tie the game with four runs on three hits in the top of the third.
The Monks grabbed the lead for good in the bottom of the third when seniors Dawson Gundlah (York, Maine) and Luke Stephens (Glastonbury, Conn.) opened the frame with back-to-back doubles.
Saint Joseph's blew the doors off in the bottom of the fifth when the Monks struck for seven runs on six hits. O'Leary and sophomore Jared Wilhelm (Tolland, Conn.) rapped RBI singles, junior Michael Wearne (Ellington, Conn.) doubled in a run and scored on a passed ball, and sophomore Dylan Brander (Merrimack, N.H.) delivered a three-run double to lift the Royal Blue to a 13-5 lead.
Emerson managed to tack on a run on two hits but stranded the bases loaded in the top of the seventh.
ON THE MOUND:
- Brander picked up his first win of the season after allowing one earned run on six hits with five strikeouts over five innings
- Senior Logan Butkins (Scituate, R.I.) yielded one run off three hits and two walks in 1.2 innings
- Senior Morgen Doughty (Smithfield, R.I.) tossed 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and fanning a pair
- Emerson reliever Tyler Metcalf took the loss after giving up six runs on eight hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work
OFF THE BAT:
- Stephens was 3-4 with two runs and an RBI and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle
- Michael Wearne went 3-4 with a run, a double, two RBI, and two stolen bases
- O'Leary added two hits in four at-bats with two runs and four RBI
- Wilhelm was 2-3 with a run, two RBI, and a stolen base
- Gundlah went 2-4 with two runs and a double
- For Emerson, Chris Ferara, Briggs Loveland, and Ryan Herskowitz posted two hits apiece
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 14-1 all-time versus Emerson College, an institution that competed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) until 2013.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's will face off against Springfield College tomorrow at 7:15 PM.
