WORCESTER, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College (3-10) suffered a pair of losses to Clark University (15-2) on Sunday afternoon. The Cougars slugged past the Monks in the opener, 17-9, and completed the sweep with a 3-1 triumph.
In game one, senior Dawson Gundlah (York, Maine) and sophomore Dylan Brander (Merrimack, N.H.) notched two hits apiece, senior Matt Thibault (Nashua, N.H.) belted a two-run homer, sophomore Luke Wearne (Ellington, Conn.) posted a three-run triple, and junior Logan Dee (Laconia, N.H.) rapped a pinch-hit RBI triple.
Sophomore starting pitcher Ethan Smith (Hudson Oaks, Texas) took the loss after allowing six runs (four earned) on five hits with a walk and a strikeout in one inning of work while junior Anthony Sayers (Benoni, South Africa), Brander, and sophomore Brendan McCaffrey (Warwick, R.I.) combined to allow two earned runs off 10 hits with five strikeouts over five innings of relief.
Game two turned out to be more of a pitchers' duel as SJC sophomore starter Padraig Mac Seain (Brookline, N.H.) and Clark hurler Casey Gorczyca managed to keep their foes' bats in check for the most part in a contest that featured four runs and 12 hits combined.
The Cougars knocked in a run on a Michael Soares double in the first inning and made it a 3-0 game when catcher Ryan Bonja smacked a two-run homer over the left-center wall in the bottom of the fourth. The Monks' lone run came on a Luke Stephens (Glastonbury, Conn.) big fly in the top of the fifth frame.
The SJC leadoff hitter reached base in each of the following two innings, but the Monks were unable to push a run across in a 3-1 setback.
Saint Joseph's is scheduled to host Johnson & Wales University on Friday at 1:00 PM.