STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (19-7, 6-4 GNAC) swept a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) baseball doubleheader with Lasell University (10-10, 4-6 GNAC) on Saturday afternoon at Larry Mahaney Diamond, taking the opener by a 2-1 score before earning a 9-1 victory in the nightcap.
GAME ONE – Saint Joseph's 2, Lasell 1
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Lasell grabbed an early lead in the top of the second inning when junior Declan Silva (Lowell, Mass.) blasted a solo home run to left field to make it a 1-0 game.
The Lasers threatened again over the next two innings, but senior Dylan Brander (Merrimack, N.H.) worked out of both jams to keep the Monks within a run.
The Monks broke through – and finally notched their first hit of the game - in the bottom of the sixth inning. After senior Ryan Kastle (Concord, N.H.) worked a leadoff walk, junior Vinny O'Leary (North Quincy, Mass.) moved his teammate up 90 feet with a single, the Monks' first hit of the day, through the right side. Sophomore Jake Carlisle (Portsmouth, N.H.) then delivered an RBI single to right field to tie the game and sophomore Nic Frink (Scarborough, Maine) followed with a run-scoring single that plated O'Leary and pushed the Monks ahead, 2-1.
Brander closed the door in the seventh, retiring the Lasers in order to secure the complete-game victory.
ON THE MOUND:
Saint Joseph's:
- Dylan Brander (Sr., Merrimack, N.H.) – W (4-2), 7.0 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Lasell:
- Chase Supan (So., West Haven, Conn.) – L (1-2), 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
IN THE BOX:
Saint Joseph's:
Lasell:
- Declan Silva – 2 for 3, HR, RBI
- Braelen Silva (Fr., Amarillo, Texas) – 1 for 4
- Tim Callahan (Gr., Attleboro, Mass.) – 1 for 3
- Connor Freitas (Gr., Portsmouth, R.I.) – 1 for 3
- Calvin Sanft (Fr., Wolfeboro, N.H.) – 1 for 3
- Nick Nigro (Jr., Newmarket, N.H.) – 1 for 3
- Tyler McDonald (Jr., Belchertown, Mass.) – 1 for 2
GAME TWO – Saint Joseph's 9, Lasell 1
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Lasell jumped in front early when graduate student Connor Freitas (Portsmouth, R.I.) singled and later scored on an RBI single by junior Declan Silva (Lowell, Mass.) to give the Lasers a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
Saint Joseph's answered in the third. Freshman Josh Hersey (Salisbury, Mass.) singled up the middle, advanced on a groundout by senior Ryan Kastle (Concord, N.H.), and came home on an RBI groundout from senior Jack Moltenbrey (East Longmeadow, Mass.) to even the game at 1-1.
The Monks moved ahead in the fifth inning. Sophomore Nick Brindle (Pittsfield, Mass.) singled, advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Hersey, and scored on Kastle's sacrifice fly to put Saint Joseph's in front, 2-1.
Saint Joseph's broke the game open in the sixth. O'Leary singled and sophomore Nick Villano (Peabody, Mass.) reached on an error before senior Jared Wilhelm (Tolland, Conn.) launched a three-run homer to left field to stretch the lead to 5-1.
The Monks added two more in the seventh on a two-run homer by Frink and tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the eighth on RBI singles from O'Leary and Frink to complete the 9-1 victory.
Sophomore Henry Paquette (Pelham, N.H.) earned the win with five solid innings before sophomore William Dionne (Somerset, Mass.) fired four scoreless innings in relief to lock down the sweep.
ON THE MOUND
Saint Joseph's:
- Henry Paquette – W (2-2), 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
- William Dionne – S (2), 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Lasell:
- Benjamin Conlon (So., Bourne, Mass.) – L (2-1), 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
- Jeremy Wacker (Jr., Montgomery, N.J.) – 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB
- Will McPherson (So., Penacook, N.H.) – 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
IN THE BOX:
Saint Joseph's:
- Vinny O'Leary – 2 for 5, R, RBI
- Jake Carlisle – 1 for 5, R
- Nic Frink – 3 for 5, HR, 3 RBI
- Jared Wilhelm – 1 for 3, HR, 3 RBI, BB
- Nick Brindle – 2 for 4, R
- Josh Hersey – 2 for 2, 2 R, BB
- Ryan Kastle – 1 R, RBI, 2 BB
- Jack Moltenbrey – RBI
Lasell:
- Declan Silva – 2 for 4, RBI
- Connor Freitas – 1 for 3, BB
- Calvin Sanft – 2 for 4, 2B
- Nick Nigro – 2 for 3, BB
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the sweep, Saint Joseph's improves to 29-9 all-time against Lasell.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's returns to action on Monday when the Monks host the University of Maine at Farmington in a non-conference doubleheader scheduled for 1:00 PM at Larry Mahaney Diamond.
