STANDISH, Maine – No. 3 Saint Joseph's College opened Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament play with a 12-2 victory over No. 6 Norwich University in a mercy-rule decision on Friday afternoon at Larry Mahaney Diamond.

The Monks (31-10) scored in five different innings and totaled 17 hits while receiving a complete-game effort on the mound to advance.

PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:

With the victory, Saint Joseph's advances to the GNAC Tournament winners' bracket and will face No. 7 Lasell University tomorrow at 12:00 PM at Pod B host University of Saint Joseph. Lasell advanced with a 3-1 upset win over No. 2 USJ in first-round action yesterday.

Norwich moves into the elimination bracket and will face the host Blue Jays tomorrow at 9:00 AM.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Saint Joseph's set the tone early and never trailed. Junior Vinny O'Leary (North Quincy, Mass.) drew a lead-off walk in the first, moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, and came home on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Nic Frink (Scarborough, Maine) to give the Monks a 1-0 lead.

The game broke open in the third. Sophomore Connor Finn (Kingston, Mass.) singled and O'Leary followed with a base hit before sophomore Jake Carlisle (Portsmouth, N.H.) lined a two-run double to center. Frink walked and both runners advanced on a double steal before junior Jared Wilhelm (Tolland, Conn.) delivered a two-run single to cap a four-run frame and push the lead to 5-0.

Norwich cut into the deficit in the fourth when Jack Medhurst scored on a ground out and John O'Connor added an RBI double, but the Monks answered immediately.

Saint Joseph's extended the lead with three runs in the fifth, highlighted by an RBI single from sophomore Nick Villano (Peabody, Mass.) and a run-scoring ground out by Finn. The Monks continued to add on in the sixth and seventh, with Carlisle driving in two more runs in the final frame to seal the mercy-rule victory.

ON THE MOUND:

Saint Joseph's:

• Dylan Brander (Sr., Merrimack, N.H.) (W, 7-2) – 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Norwich:

• Carson Rath (L, 6-5) – 3.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Nathan Abbott – 3.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Hunter Lohrli – 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

IN THE BOX:

Saint Joseph's:

• Jake Carlisle – 5-for-5, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B, 2 SB; 13th player in team history to record five hits in a game and first since Cliff Ward versus Bowdoin College on May 3, 2022
• Nic Frink – 2-for-2, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2B, BB
• Jared Wilhelm – 3-for-4, R, 2 RBI
• Michael Richards – 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B
• Vinny O'Leary – 1-for-3, 3 R, 2 BB
• Nick Villano – 1-for-4, RBI
• Connor Finn – 1-for-3, R, RBI

Norwich:

• Jack Medhurst – 1-for-3, R
• Geffen Franus – 1-for-3
• John O'Connor – 1-for-3, RBI, 2B
• Jon Ringer – 1-for-2, 2B

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 32-3 all-time against Norwich University.