PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The St. Joseph's College (Maine) baseball team came up just short in a tightly contested game against the University of Saint Joseph (CT), falling 6-4 on Friday afternoon in the first game of GNAC Pod Play. 

Jared Wilhelm (Tolland, CT) powered the Monks' offense, going 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs. St. Joseph's outhit the Bluejays 12 to 13 but stranded 10 runners over the course of the game.

The Monks got off to a fast start with Wilhelm's solo homer to left field in the first inning. The Bluejays answered in the second with a solo shot of their own.

Wilhelm struck again in the third, sending another solo blast over the left-field wall to put the Monks back in front. St. Joseph's added another run in the same inning when Dawson Gundlah (York, ME) singled home Vinny O'Leary, who had doubled earlier in the frame, making it 3-1.

The Bluejays began to chip away in the fifth, scoring an unearned run. They tied things up in the sixth with an RBI single.

In the seventh, Saint Joseph (CT) grabbed the lead for the first time off a double. They added two more runs in the eighth—one on an RBI single and another on a wild pitch—to stretch the lead to 6-3.

The Monks made things interesting in the ninth. Carlisle delivered an RBI double to bring home Ryan Kastle (Concord, NH), trimming the deficit to 6-4 but the rally fell short.

Gundlah had a strong day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with an RBI. Vinny O'Leary (North Quincy, MA) went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk. Jake Carlisle chipped in a 2-for-5 performance, including a double and an RBI. Nic Frink (Scarborough, ME) added two hits of his own, finishing 2-for-5.

Dylan Brander (Merrimack, NH) got the start for the Monks, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out six. William Dionne (Somerset, MA) took the loss in relief, giving up three runs on five hits over two innings.

The Monks are back in action on Saturday at 11am against Colby-Sawyer at Johnson & Wales for the second GNAC Pod Play Game.