Monks Rally in Nightcap to Capture Opening Day Sweep

Baseball - Saint Joseph's College

March 7, 2010

By Corey McCarthy

WINTER HAVEN, FL - Saint Joseph's (2-0) utilized an 11-run fifth inning to overcome a four-run deficit in the nightcap and complete a sweep over Clark University (1-3) on Sunday afternoon. St. Joe's defeated the Cougars, 6-4 and 18-6, respectively, on the opening day of the 2010 season.

First baseman Ben Grant-Roy '10 (Biddeford, ME) was 4-6 with 2 runs, 2 doubles, a triple and 5 RBI and freshman third baseman Mike Pratt (Dartmouth, MA) enjoyed an outstanding debut, having gone 5-7 with 4 runs, a double and an RBI in his first collegiate twinbill. Catcher Ian Lee '11 (Hampden, ME) and shortstop Chris Campbell '11 (Rochester, NH) both notched three hits, with the latter SJC standout scoring 5 runs in the two-game set.

Game-one starter Pat Moran '10 (Winterport, ME) earned the win, with 5 K's and 9 hits, 1 walk and 3 earned runs allowed in 6 innings of work. Andrew Keirstead '10 (Westbrook, ME) tossed a scoreless 7th frame with a strikeout to collect his first save of the season. Chris Nanof '10 (Clinton, MA) fanned a pair and allowed 2 hits in 2 innings of relief and was credited with the victory in the second game. Starter Kyle Dorr '10 (Berwick, ME) allowed 4 earned runs, 6 hits and a walk with 4 K's in 4 innings and Sean Drake '13 (Lebanon, NH) closed out the blowout with an inning of scoreless relief.

The Saint Joseph's lineup, which lost just one starter from the record-breaking 2009 crew, responded to high expectations by hitting .424 (25-59) with 24 runs on opening day.

GAME ONE

The Monks got on the board first in the opener, as left fielder Sam Butts '13 (Saco, ME), who reached with an infield single - his first NCAA hit - scored on a Grant-Roy single in the first inning. Catcher Travis Adams '10 (Saco, ME) came up with one out and the bases loaded in the opening frame, but laced a line drive to Clark first baseman Mitchell DeLorenzo '12 (Berlin, CT), who stepped on the bag to complete an inning-ending double play.

The Cougars took the lead by scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the first, however. Clark lead-off hitter Stephen Martino '10 (East Haven, CT) reached on a rare Moran free pass and scored two batters later when Phillip DiMarco '10 (Bellingham, MA) lofted a sac fly to center. Designated hitter Ronald Bathrick '11 (North Haven, CT) put his team ahead with a double to deep left-center, plating Scott Hollingsworth '11 (Tilton, NH), and DeLorenzo scored on a single by catcher Kevin Kopec '11 (Katonah, NY) to cap the inning scoring with the Cougars on top, 3-1.

Saint Joseph's regained the advantage with a three-run second inning, with RBI's from Campbell, Butts and Lee. Campbell drove home Pratt, who led off the frame with a single, with a fielder's choice and Butts plated right fielder Craig Woodbrey '10 (Gorham, ME), who reached via base on balls, with a sacrifice fly to center. Campbell scored on a Lee base-knock to put the Monks back in the lead, 4-3.

Moran whiffed a pair in the bottom of the second, which yielded no runs for the Cougars. The Monks added two runs off an RBI single by second baseman Mike Burdin '10 (Gardiner, ME) and a run-scoring double, deep to left-center, off Campbell's bat. Pratt and Adams singled and doubled, respectively, and scored the SJC runs, which put staked the Royal Blue to a 6-3 advantage.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, DeMartino plated shortstop Peter Lewis '11 (Gardiner, ME) with a double to close out the game scoring.

Michael Lamothe '12 (Bellingham, MA), who allowed 6 hits and 3 walks with 6 K's in 5 1/3 innings, took the loss for the Cougars. Clark starting pitcher Nickolas Winchell '12 (Scituate, RI) was forced to leave the game due to injury after allowing 4 runs off six hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings.

GAME TWO

The Cougars jumped out to a four-run lead with five hits, including a two-RBI triple by DiMarco, in the first inning of the nightcap contest. The Monks chipped away at the deficit with single runs in the bottom of the first and fourth innings. Campbell doubled to lead off the first frame for the Royal Blue and later scored on a wild pitch by Clark starter Philip Bertocci '11 (Thomaston, ME) and Moran drove home Grant-Roy, who doubled, in the fourth inning.

A pair of miscues and several mental mistakes cost the Monks in the bottom of the fifth, as the Cougars added two runs to secure a 6-2 cushion. DiMarco and DeLorenzo registered RBI's in the inning.

The heralded Monks lineup came to life in the bottom of the fifth, however, as the Royal Blue scored 10 runs before an out was recorded and 11 overall off six hits while the Cougars exhausted their bullpen with three pitching changes. Bertocci had kept the Monks off-balance for the first four innings, but would not get an out before being chased in the fifth. Lee, Keneborus, Moran, Pratt, second baseman Dan Achorn '12 (Bow, NH) and left-fielder Eric LaBatte '11 (Rochester, NH) plated a run apiece, Grant-Roy sent home a pair, and third baseman Nick Saunders '13 (Brooksville, ME) rapped a bases-loaded single that scored three during the game-changing offensive onslaught.

St. Joe's completed the game-scoring with 5 runs in the sixth inning, as Campbell registered an RBI single, Achorn drove home a pair with a base hit and Grant-Roy belted a two-run triple to deep right-center.

Derek Dubois '13 (Haverhill, MA) was hit with the losing decision for Clark after allowing three runs during the bottom of the fifth inning.

Saint Joseph's will play WPI on Monday in a twinbill slated to begin at 12:00 PM, while Clark is set to take on Northland in a doubleheader on Monday at 9:00 AM.