Baseball Falls in Season Finale with Monks

Baseball Falls in Season Finale with Monks

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. - Saint Joseph's College toppled Anna Maria College, 19-1 and 6-1, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader at the New England Baseball Complex on Saturday afternoon. The win boosts the Monks to 30-6 on the season and 13-1 in the GNAC while the AMCATS cap their season at 7-31 overall and 0-14 in the conference.

Prior to the game Anna Maria honored six graduating seniors who played in their very last career game: Zach Parker (Manchester, N.H.), Joseph Fahey (Auburn, Mass.), Jonathan Roy (Worcester, Mass.), Matthew Leahey (Rutland, Mass.), Brenden Matthews (Worcester, Mass.), and James Marcello (Mansfield, Mass.). The Anna Maria Athletic Department wishes these six AMCATS the best of luck in all their future endeavors. 

With the sweep, and Suffolk University's split with Johnson & Wales University today, Saint Joseph's clinches the top seed in the GNAC Tournament for the third-consecutive season and sixth time since joining the conference in 2008. With a first-round bye, the Monks will host the winner of Tuesday's #4/#5 single-elimination matchup on Thursday, opponent and start time TBD.

The Monks are now the first team in the New England Region to reach the 30-win plateau. Saint Joseph's has notched 30 wins in 13 different seasons, including 12 under the watch of 25th-year Head Coach Will Sanborn '86.

GAME ONE 

The Monks sent five runners home off three hits in the second, as junior Chris Gerossie and sophomore Joey Murphy registered an RBI apiece and senior shortstop Max McCoomb launched a two-run homer to stake the visitors to an early lead.

St. Joe's proceeded to put the game out of reach with two runs in the fourth and sixth in the fifth and tacked on three runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

SJC sophomore starter Grayson Jennings improved to 3-1 on the season after scattering four hits with five K's in five innings. Senior Nick Malatesta allowed an unearned run while walking four and fanning three in two frames of relief.

Anna Maria starter Zach Parker took the loss and falls to 1-1 after surrendering 13 runs (seven earned) of 11 hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 4.2 innings.

Jonathan Roy went two for three at the plate for the AMCATS while Joseph Fahey was the only AMCAT to cross home plate in game one.

McCoomb was 3-4 with two runs, a double, a homer, and four RBI for the visitors. Senior first baseman Brett Barbati  went 2-2 with two runs and an RBI while Murphy added two hits with two runs, a double, a stolen base, and three RBI in five at-bats. Senior Scott Betts  and sophomore Greg Emanuelson both launched three-run homers to lift the Monks to victory.

GAME TWO 

The game stood at a 1-1 tie after one inning, but Emanuelson and Betts hit back-to-back doubles in the second and senior Monk, Dan Donovan notched an RBI triple and scored on an Emanuelson base hit in the third to lift the Royal Blue to a 4-1 lead. Senior Jameson Collins capped the game-scoring with a two-run single in the fourth.

Gerossie, making his first appearance on the hill since April 14th, did not factor into the decision after giving up a run off three hits and five walks with three K's in 3.1 innings. Junior Marc Poirier picked up the win after tossing 1.2 innings of no-hit relief while walking one and fanning three. Junior Josh Partridge closed out the game, issuing one free pass and striking out two in two innings.

Anna Maria starter Matthew Leahey falls to 0-8 on the season after yielding six runs off 11 hits and two walks while fanning four in 6.2 innings.

Jon Roy went one for three with one RBI for the AMCATS. Collins went 3-4 with a run and two RBI for the visitors. Emanuelson was 2-4 with a double, a run, and an RBI while McCoomb added two hits, a run, and a double in four at-bats. Sophomore third baseman Noah McDaniel belted his first collegiate home run – a solo shot in the first inning for the Monks.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Saint Joseph's will host MIT Monday in a non-conference game slated to begin at 4:30 PM.