WORCESTER, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College (12-3) erased a five-run deficit with a five-run seventh inning, but Clark University (9-4) answered with four runs over the final two frames to hand the Monks a 9-8 non-conference setback at Granger Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Saint Joseph's trailed 5-1 entering the seventh before junior Vinny O'Leary (North Quincy, Mass.), sophomore Jake Carlisle (Portsmouth, N.H.), and sophomore Nic Frink (Scarborough, Maine) sparked a five-run outburst that pushed the Monks in front, 6-5. Clark responded with two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh and added two more in the eighth before Frink's two-run homer in the ninth made it a one-run game again.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Clark struck first in the third inning when Michael Soares doubled and later scored on an RBI single by Myles Fournier.

The Cougars added four more runs in the fourth to open a 5-0 lead. Bennett Hewett started the rally with a double, Dom Mariani followed with an RBI single, and Soares added a run-scoring double. Brayden Hollinrake and Fournier each chipped in RBI singles in the frame.

Saint Joseph's got on the board in the fifth when sophomore Theo Masella (Manchester, Mass.) scored on a bases-loaded walk by senior Jack Moltenbrey (East Longmeadow, Mass.), but the Monks left two aboard and still trailed 5-1.

The Monks flipped the game in the seventh. Dylan Brander led off with a single and Connor Finn (Kingston, Mass.) entered as a pinch runner before stealing second. Masella added a single and, after two outs and a pair of walks, O'Leary singled home Finn. Carlisle followed with a fielder's choice that brought home senior Luke Doughty (York, Maine), and an error on the play allowed another run to score. Frink then doubled to center to plate two more and give Saint Joseph's a 6-5 advantage.

Clark answered immediately in the bottom half. Chas Caron reached on an error and later scored on another Saint Joseph's miscue before Mariani doubled down the left-field line to put the Cougars back in front, 7-6.

The Cougars added two more in the eighth on Hewett's two-run single to right, stretching the lead to 9-6.

Saint Joseph's made one final push in the ninth when O'Leary singled and Frink followed with a two-run homer to left, but Clark closed the door from there.

ON THE MOUND:

Saint Joseph's:

• Tyler Nelson (Fr., Medford, Mass.) – 3.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
• Nate Leavitt (So., Alton, N.H.) – 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Henry Paquette (So., Pelham, N.H.) – 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (L, 1-1)
• Thomas O'Koniewski (Sr., Lawrence, Mass.) – 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Ryan Thurber (Sr., South Portland, Maine) – 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Clark:

• Jacob Kline – 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Brendan Bruun – 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Taejun Tow – 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• Theodore Allan – 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (W, 1-0)
• Connor Schmautz – 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (S, 1)

IN THE BOX:

Saint Joseph's:

• Nic Frink – 2-5, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, R
• Vinny O'Leary – 2-5, RBI, 2 R
• Theo Masella – 2-3, R
• Luke Doughty – 2-3, BB, R
• Jared Wilhelm (Tolland, Conn.) – 1-5
• Dylan Brander (Merrimack, N.H.) – 1-3
• Jack Moltenbrey – RBI, 2 BB, R

Clark:

• Bennett Hewett – 3-5, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB
• Dom Mariani – 2-6, 2 RBI, R, 2B
• Michael Soares – 4-4, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R, BB
• Myles Fournier – 2-5, 2 RBI
• Cole Camara – 1-3, R, 2 BB

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

With the setback, Saint Joseph's falls to 9-9 all-time versus Clark University. The Cougars have defeated the Monks in four consecutive meetings dating back to the 2024 season.

Saint Joseph's held Clark without a home run for just the third game so far this season. The Cougars currently rank sixth in NCAA DIII Baseball with 23 home runs in 13 contests.

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's returns to action on Saturday with a GNAC doubleheader at Albertus Magnus, scheduled for 2:00 PM and 4:30 PM.