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2006 Press Releases

June 8, 2006

Furbush Honored by NCBWA

STANDISH, ME - Saint Joseph's College sophomore Charlie Furbush (South Portland, ME) was named New England Pitcher of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association after compiling a 10-1 record with five saves while striking out 115 and walking just 22 in 74.2 innings pitched.

This award is the latest of numerous accolades for Furbush who helped the Monks to their most successful campaign in school history which included a 34-10-1 overall record, a North Atlantic Conference Championship and a first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament.

William Chapman Earns NAC All-Academic Honor

STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph’s College baseball senior William Chapman (Eddington, ME) received recognition by the North Atlantic Conference as a Winter/Spring All-Academic honoree.

To be honored, a student-athlete must have reached junior academic standing, have completed a minimum two years in their sport with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50.

FURBUSH NAMED TO 2006 NEIBA ALL-NEW ENGLAND
DIVISION III BASEBALL FIRST TEAM

MEDFORD, Mass. – Fifty-three players from 26 teams were named to the 2006 All-New England First, Second and Third Teams announced by the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) today.

NCAA New England Regional Champion Wheaton College had five players voted to the three teams. NCAA New York Regional Champion Eastern Connecticut State University and Tufts University each had four players on the three teams. Fourteen schools in all had more than one player recognized.

Salem State College senior shortstop Derek Lyons was selected as the NEIBA Division III Player of the Year. Lyons hit .453 with 21 doubles, nine home runs and 52 runs batted in for the Vikings. Saint Joseph’s College sophomore lefty Charlie Furbush was chosen as the Pitcher of the Year. He compiled a 10-1 record with four saves while striking out 115 and walking just 22 in 74.2 innings pitched. Wheaton’s Eric Podbelski was named Coach of the Year. He has guided the Lyons into the College World Series with a school record for wins. Their 38-8 record included the nation’s longest winning streak this spring of 24 games.

FIRST TEAM
C – Chris Kenney, Jr., Williams
1B – Bryan McDavitt, Jr., Tufts
2B – Alex Hurley, Jr., Johnson & Wales
3B – Scott Guillerault, So, Wheaton
SS – Derek Lyons, Sr., Salem State
OF – Chris O’Connors, Fr., Rhode Island College
OF – Jim O’Leary, Sr., Tufts
OF – Jeremy Schilling, Sr., Keene State
OF – Ryan Bourque, Jr., Southern Maine
DH – Justin Collett, Fr., Salve Regina
UT – Jason Connelly, Sr., Western New England
P – Joe Vladeck, Sr., Amherst
P – Charlie Furbush, So., St. Joseph’s (ME)
P – William Riggieri, Jr., Salve Regina
P – Shawn Gilblair, Fr., Eastern Connecticut

FURBUSH NAMED TO NCAA DIVISION III BASEBALL ALL-REGION TEAM

Harwich, Mass. - The votes are in following completion of the NCAA Division III New England Region Baseball Tournament, and the members of the All-Region Team, voted on by tournament coaches and SID's is as follows:

Charlie Furbush, St. Joseph’s – Pitcher
Ryan Armstrong, Middlebury – Leftfield
Alex Casnocha, Middlebury – First Base
Chris Burleson, Southern Maine – Pitcher, Centerfield
Ryan Bourque, Southern Maine – Rightfield
Jason Connelly, Western New England – Pitcher
Rob Celentrano, Salem State – Shortstop
Chris McCann, Bowdoin – Shortstop
Brendon Leonard, Wheaton College – Centerfield, Shortstop
Chris Martin, Wheaton College – Pitcher
Chris McDonough, Wheaton College – Pitcher
Jake Yagjian, Wheaton College – Second Base

NCAA DIII REGIONAL BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
Saint Joseph's Eliminated by Southern Maine, 10-1

Harwich, Mass. – #2 seed Saint Joseph’s College (Me.) was eliminated this evening by #5 seed Southern Maine in a game originally scheduled to start at 8 PM, but delayed by the length of SJC's earlier extra-inning game vs. Western New England, and then pushed further back by a fog delay during the Middlebury-Salem State game so that it did not start until just after 10 PM tonight, finishing just before 1 AM.

Saint Joseph’s returns to Standish with a respectable record of 34-10-1. Southern Maine advances to play #6 Middlebury at 3:30 PM later today.

Freshman Chris Burleson led the way for the Huskies on the mound, going the distance and earning the win. He threw 142 pitches and fanned an impressive 13 batters.

Southern Maine’s Eddie Skeffington started the scoring off in the bottom of the second with a homerun to left center as USM took a 1-0 lead.

Saint Joseph’s Jake Rodden struck back in the top of the third with a triple down the right line and a run to tie it up. The teams ended the third tied at one.

Huskie junior Ryan Bourque had an RBI single to right putting USM up 2-1 as they headed into the fourth inning. Southern Maine increased their lead when Max Arsenault hit a homerun, and Josh Stowell and Jeff Skillen scored to increase the Husky lead 5-1. Mike D’Andrea followed suit hitting a two-run homer to end the fourth 7-1.

The Huskies secured the win when Skillin drove in Skeffington. Skillin went on to score USM’s second run of the inning to make the score 9-1. In the top of the ninth, Bourque drove in Burleson to cap Southern Maine’s scoring at 10.

The Monks turned a double play in the ninth before they tried their last luck on a comeback. Saint Joseph’s could not overcome Burleson who earned the last three outs by strikeout. Mark Clapp and Wade Oliver each went 2-for-4 for the Monks.

Score by Innings                            R  H  E
--------------------------------------------------
St. Joseph's (ME).... 001 000 000 -   1  7  1
Southern Maine...... 011 520 01X - 10 13 1

NCAA DIII REGIONAL BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
Second Round Action
Monks Lose in Extra Innings, 11-10

Harwich, Mass. – Despite three homeruns off Monks’ bats, #2 Saint Joseph’s College (34-9-1) succumbed to the #6 Golden Bears of Western New England College (35-10) today in extra innings. WNEC advances in the winners bracket and will take on #1 seed Wheaton College (36-8) tomorrow at noon. The Monks will now have to play an elimination game tonight at approximately 9 PM versus #5 University of Southern Maine (29-16). The winner will stay around to play the winner of the #3 Middlebury vs. #4 Salem State game tomorrow at 3:30 PM; the loser of tonight’s game goes home.

Ben Muniz had a solo homerun in the sixth for St. Joe’s, but it was Brian Schools’ in the top of the seventh that ignited the Monks’ comeback, following Luke Enman’s one-run single driving in Mark Clapp to make it 7-5. The Monks cut the lead to 7-6, before Western New England scored in the bottom of the seventh to go ahead 8-6. The Monks tied it up in the eighth and went ahead when Ben Muniz hit his second homerun of the game, scoring Brian Schools to put the Monks up 10-8. Muniz was 3-for-4 on the day. WNEC tied it up in the ninth to force extra innings.

Jack Hughes had the ball for the Monks, walking the first batter faced, Chris Newell, who advanced to both second and then third on wild pitches, which seemed to set the tone for this game, there being a total of 6 wild pitches thrown today by Monks pitchers, 5 by Hughes. Hughes pitched 5.2 innings, Steven Stout came in for 1.1 and Sam Tupper took the loss for St. Joe’s, finishing out the game with 2.1 innings pitched.

Jason Pizzoferrato pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the win. He gave up only one hit and struck out two improving his record to 10-1. The Golden Bears led 4-2 after three innings and 7-3 after six before the Monks scored three runs in seventh and four times in the eighth to take a 10-8 lead.

In his lone hit of the game, WNEC’s Chris Fredericks drove in Mike Beck to win the game for the Golden Bears in the 10th inning.

Score by Innings                                    R  H  E
---------------------------------------------------------
St. Joseph's (ME).......... 002 001 340 0 - 10 16 1
Western New England... 103 012 120 1 - 11 15 2
---------------------------------------------------------

NCAA DIII REGIONAL BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
First Round Action
Monks Rally past Bowdoin

SJC Pitcher, Charlie Furbush

Harwich, Massachusetts – In the 2006 NCAA Division III Eastern College Athletic Conference Baseball Regional, #2 seed Saint Joseph’s College (34-8-1) defeated #7 seed Bowdoin College (28-9-1) by a score of 9-7 to advance in the winners bracket. The Monks and Polar Bears had met once during the regular season and played to a 4-4 tie, the game being called by officials due to darkness and rain.

Bowdoin will play at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow vs. #3 seed Middlebury (24-10), while St. Joe’s will take the field at 1 p.m. to face #6 seed Western New England (34-10).

Bowdoin scored five runs in the second inning to jump out to an early lead over St. Joseph’s, leading by as many as six by the third inning, as St. Joe’s took the plate. The Monks battled back and overcame the deficit by the fourth. In the top of the seventh, after a pitching change by Bowdoin, the Monks took their first lead of the game on a two-run homer by Luke Enman, hit on the first pitch, that went deep to center field (well over 410 feet), lifting the Monks to 7-6. Brian Schools secured the win in the top of the eighth with yet another two-run homer, extending the Monks' lead 9-7.

Saint Joseph’s pitcher Charlie Furbush earned the win, improving his record to 10-1-4. The sophomore went the distance for the Monks throwing 152 pitches on the day.


Score by Innings                          R H E
-----------------------------------------------
Bowdoin................ 051 000 001 - 7 9 3
St. Joseph's (ME)... 002 300 22X - 9 8 2

D3Cast To Present NCAA Division III New England Baseball Regional

HARWICH , MA - D3Cast will be providing live audio and video webcasts of all the games in the 2006 NCAA Division III New England Baseball Regional. Saint Joseph's College will play Bowdoin College on Wednesday, May 17th at 1:25 pm.

All fans need to do is to go to www.d3cast.com and click on the game to get all the live action. The game is listed on the d3cast.com home page. RealPlayer will be required to access the free webcasts. Real Player can be downloaded for free if it is not currently installed on your computer system.

2006 NCAA Division III Baseball New England Regional Championship
Harwich, Massachusetts

1. Wheaton (Massachusetts) (34-8)
2. Saint Joseph's (Maine) (33-8-1)
3. Middlebury (24-9)
4. Salem State (33-6)
5. Southern Maine (29-15)
6. Western New England (33-10)
7. Bowdoin (28-8-1)

Wednesday, May 17 at Whitehouse Field
Game 1: No. 4 Salem State vs. No. 5 Southern Maine, 9:30 a.m.
Game 2: No. 2 Saint Joseph's (Maine) vs. No. 7 Bowdoin, 1 p.m.
Game 3: No. 3 Middlebury vs. No. 6 Western New England, 4:30 p.m.
Game 4: No. 1 Wheaton vs. Winner of Game 1, 8 p.m.

Thursday, May 18 at Whitehouse Field
Game 5: Loser of Game 2 vs. Loser of Game 3, 9:30 a.m.
Game 6: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3, 1 p.m.
Game 7: Loser of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5, 4:30 p.m.
Game 8: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 6, 8 p.m.

Friday, May 19 at Whitehouse Field
Game 9: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 6, Noon
Game 10: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8, 3:30 p.m.
Game 11: Loser of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10, 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 20 at Whitehouse Field
Game 12: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 11 Noon
Game 13: Same Two Teams (if necessary)
Approximately 50 minutes following the conclusion of Game 12
or at a time determined by the tournament committee.

Rain Days: Sunday, May 21 - Times TBA; Monday, May 22 - Times TBA

Saint Joseph’s College Baseball
2006 Team Awards

On November 10, 2005, Saint Joseph’s College Baseball suffered the tragic loss of former pitching coach Robert R. Doyle. The Robert R. Doyle Award will be presented each year in loving memory of long-time Saint Joseph’s College Baseball Pitching Coach “Bobby” Doyle.

For 12 seasons Bob Doyle served Saint Joseph’s College baseball selflessly and tirelessly. His love of the game and dedication to his pitching staff is legendary among St. Joe’s players. His confident, calm demeanor inspired greatness in his pitching staff. Coach Doyle was much more than a successful pitching coach – he was a mentor and friend to the young men whom he coached. Bob Doyle’s contributions to Saint Joseph’s College Baseball will be forever honored with the annual presentation of this award in his name.

Corey McCarthy Honored with First Annual Robert R. Doyle Award
It was only fitting that the First Annual Robert R. Doyle Award was presented to Assistant Baseball Coach Corey McCarthy at the teams' 2006 Awards Banquet at the Woodlands Country Club on May 15. Since joining the Monks in 2005, Coach McCarthy has spent countless hours helping to move the program forward. Known for his quiet demeanor and laid-back personality, Corey, in many ways, embodies the dedication and commitment of Robert R. Doyle. His tireless work with Monks infielders and his recruiting efforts have brought him great praise and respect from St. Joe’s players. Corey’s quiet determination has been a key factor in the success of Saint Joseph’s College baseball over the past two seasons.

Father John Tokaz Honored with Alumni Appreciation Award
Saint Joseph’s College Chaplain John Tokaz was honored for his nine years of service to St. Joe’s Baseball and the College community. As many of our alumni baseball players can attest, the impact John Tokaz has had on the lives of the young men of Saint Joseph’s College Baseball cannot be measured and will never be forgotten. Father John’s tireless dedication to the education and character development of Monks baseball players has been an inspiration to everyone at Saint Joseph’s College. Saint Joseph’s College Baseball honors Father John Tokaz and wishes him all the best as he moves on to new challenges!

2006 Saint Joseph’s College Baseball – Player Awards
Most Dedicated Player – Jake Rodden
Pitcher of the Year – Jack Hughes
Coaches Award – Michael Hebenstreit
Rookie of the Year – Wade Oliver
Hitter of the Year – Andrew Wood
Most Valuable Player – Charlie Furbush

Saint Joseph's College Seeded #2 for 2006 NCAA Division III
Baseball Regional Championship in Harwich

Cape Cod, Massachusetts - The NCAA Division III Baseball Committee has announced the teams that will compete in the NCAA Division III Baseball New England Regional Championship on Cape Cod. The seven-team double elimination tournament is hosted by the ECAC and will be played at Whitehouse field in Harwich, the home of the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Harwich Mariners. The event begins on Wednesday, May 17 and will run through Saturday, May 20.

The Division III championship provides for a maximum field of 53 teams. Six teams will compete at three first-round sites; seven teams will compete at five first-round sites. All first rounds will use a double-elimination format. Thirty-two conference champions qualified automatically. Winners of the eight first-round tournaments will qualify for the double-elimination championship at Appleton, Wisconsin, May 26-30.

Earning the No. 1 seed is Wheaton College with a 34-8 overall record. Saint Joseph’s (Maine) with a record of 33-8-1 will be the No. 2 seed followed by No. 3 Middlebury (24-9), No. 4 Salem State (33-6), No. 5 Southern Maine (29-15), No. 6 Western New England (33-10) and No. 7 Bowdoin College (28-8-1).

Whitehouse Field is home to the local Cape League’s Harwich Mariners. The park features the Fay Vincent Sr. baseball scoreboard and message center, the largest scoreboard in New England south of Fenway Park. The games are scheduled for 9:30, 1 p.m., 4:30 and 8 p.m. on Wednesday (May 17), 9:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 4:30 and 8 p.m. on Thursday (May 18), Noon, 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday (May 19), and Noon on Saturday (May 20). Teams are expected to arrive on Cape Cod on Tuesday, May 16 for practice.

2006 NCAA Division III Baseball New England Regional Championship
Harwich, Massachusetts

1. Wheaton (Massachusetts) (34-8)
2. Saint Joseph’s (Maine) (33-8-1)
3. Middlebury (24-9)
4. Salem State (33-6)
5. Southern Maine (29-15)
6. Western New England (33-10)
7. Bowdoin (28-8-1)

Wednesday, May 17 at Whitehouse Field
Game 1: No. 4 Salem State vs. No. 5 Southern Maine, 9:30 a.m.
Game 2: No. 2 Saint Joseph’s (Maine) vs. No. 7 Bowdoin, 1 p.m.
Game 3: No. 3 Middlebury vs. No. 6 Western New England, 4:30 p.m.
Game 4: No. 1 Wheaton vs. Winner of Game 1, 8 p.m.


Thursday, May 18 at Whitehouse Field
Game 5: Loser of Game 2 vs. Loser of Game 3, 9:30 a.m.
Game 6: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3, 1 p.m.
Game 7: Loser of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5, 4:30 p.m.
Game 8: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 6, 8 p.m.

Friday, May 19 at Whitehouse Field
Game 9: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 6, Noon
Game 10: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8, 3:30 p.m.
Game 11: Loser of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10, 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 20 at Whitehouse Field
Game 12: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 11 Noon
Game 13: Same Two Teams (if necessary)
Approximately 50 minutes following the conclusion of Game 12
or at a time determined by the tournament committee.

Rain Days: Sunday, May 21 – Times TBA; Monday, May 22 – Times TBA

SAINT JOSEPH'S HOLDS STEADY AT #2 IN MOST RECENT
NCAA REGIONAL POLL

INDIANAPOLIS ---The NCAA Division III Baseball Committee has released this week's Division III baseball regional rankings for games through May 9, 2006. The committee has ranked the top 15 percent of teams in each region, this will amount to Central - five teams, Mid-Atlantic - eight teams, Mideast - seven teams, Midwest - six teams, New England - nine teams, New York - six teams, South - six teams, and West - six teams. The rankings do not guarantee a team's selection into the national championship.

RANKINGS FOR NEW ENGLAND REGION
(Name of School is followed by Regional Record and then Overall Record)

1. Wheaton (Massachusetts), 31-4, 34-8
2. St. Joseph’s (Maine), 28-4-1, 33-8-1
3. Southern Maine, 24-8, 27-13
4. Salem State, 23-4, 33-6
5. Bowdoin, 25-6-1, 27-6-1
6. Western New England, 32-9, 33-10
7. Williams, 20-7, 29-9
8. Middlebury, 15-6, 21-9
9. Keene State, 23-8, 28-12

Teams will be seeded for the NCAA Regional Tournaments late Sunday evening.

Saint Joseph's Rebounds to Fifth Place in NEIBA Coaches' Poll

New England College Baseball Coaches Poll
Conducted by New England College Baseball Coaches
(First Place Votes in parentheses, followed by record and total points)

Division III
1. Wheaton (5) 34-8 40 pts.
2. Western New England 33-10 29 pts.
3. Bowdoin 27-6-1 22 pts.
3. Salem State 33-6 22 pts.
5. Saint Joseph’s (Me.) 33-8-1 21 pts.
6. Southern Maine 27-13 18 pts.
7. Williams 29-9 10 pts.
8. Amherst 22-9-1 6 pts.
Also Receiving Votes: Brandeis [5], Keene State [4], Tufts [3].

Wade Oliver Named NAC Player of the Week

Wade Oliver (Fr., OF, Owls Head, Me.) was named the North Atlantic Conference Player of the Week for the week ending May 7, 2006.

Oliver also earned NAC tourney Most Valuable Player accolades after hitting 5-for-13 at the plate with 6 RBI and 2 runs scored leading Saint Joseph's to their second consecutive NAC title.

NORTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Hosted by Saint Joseph's College

Saint Joseph's Repeats as North Atlantic Conference Champion!
Crushes Husson College, 17-6

STANDISH, MAINE – In just their second year in the conference, Saint Joseph's College captured their second straight North Atlantic Conference Championship with a 17-6 win over Husson College.

The Monks improve to 33-8-1 in their second 30 win season in a row while Husson stands at 27-16.

The Eagles had forced an extra inning in the game 4 match-up on Saturday, but it was all St. Joe’s today as the Monks took a 3-0 lead in the third and added to the lead in each of the following innings. Sophomore Luke Enman (Milan, NH) put an exclamation point on the weekend with a three-run blast in the eighth.

Husson got on the board in the fourth as senior Chris McInnis (Winslow, ME) scored on a sacrifice by sophomore Andrew Patterson (Brewer, ME). In the bottom of the inning, junior Keil Martin (Saco, ME) singled in a run and freshman Wade Oliver (Owls Head, ME) sent sophomore Charlie Furbush (S. Portland, ME) home on a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1.

Senior Steve Lambert (Gonic, NH) came in for St. Joe’s in the fifth with runners on first and second and gave up a three-run homer to senior Justin Spencer (Brewer, ME) to close the gap to 5-4.

After senior Jason Harvey (Bucksport, ME) lined a shot by third base, sophomore Steve Stout (Gloucester, MA) took the mound and surrendered a single to senior Sean Brawn (Augusta, ME). Stout loaded the bases with an intentional walk to junior Adam Sheehan (Bucksport, ME) and got out of the inning as Patterson grounded into a double play.

The Monks went up 10-4 in the fifth as sophomore Dustin Spiller (Gorham, ME) lined a 2-RBI single up the middle and sophomore Andrew Wood (S. Portland, ME) scored on a throwing error. Sophomore Sam Adolphsen took the mound for Husson and Spiller scored on a sacrifice fly by Martin and Oliver singled to score sophomore Brian Schools (Gorham, ME).

Stout struck out two in the sixth and Spiller robbed sophomore Danny White (Dover, ME) of a base hit with one of several impressive catches in center field. The Monks closed out the inning with another run.

Husson added two runs on three hits in the seventh with singles by Harvey, Brawn and Sheehan, but St. Joe’s answered with a 2-RBI double off the right center field fence by Jake Rodden (Somersworth, NH) to extend the lead to 13-6.

Leaving nothing to chance, St. Joe’s plated four more runs in the eighth after an RBI single by junior Mark Clapp (Blue Hill, ME) and the three-run homer by Enman.

Stout recorded the win for the Monks while freshman Chad Lavway (Presque-Isle, ME) took the loss for Husson.

NAC ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM

MVP Wade Oliver - Saint Joseph’s College
Charlie Furbush - Saint Joseph’s College
Brian Schools - Saint Joseph’s College
Justin Spencer - Husson College
Jason Harvey - Husson College
Andrew Sheehan - Husson College
Adam Massey - Castleton State College
Jeremy Gilcris - Castleton State College
Jerry Randall - Thomas College
Ryan Rulman - Thomas College

NORTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Hosted by Saint Joseph's College

Husson Eliminates Castleton
Eagles Advance to Play Monks in Championship

STANDISH, ME - The Eagles of Husson College (27-15) had just about an hour to regroup after a difficult extra-inning loss to St. Joe's but it was clear that their offense was ready to go, pounding out 11 hits and eliminating Castleton State (21-19) with a 7-4 win tonight. Husson will face St. Joe's tomorrow at noon.

Husson took a 3-0 lead in the fourth as senior Sean Brawn (Augusta, ME) drove in senior Jason Harvey (Bucksport, ME) and senior Justin Spencer (Brewer, ME) with a triple and went home on a double by senior Chris McInnis (Winslow, ME). Harvey singled in a run in the fifth and McInnis scored in the sixth on a sacrifice by freshman Brian McGinley (Hermon, ME) to make it 5-0.

Spencer added to the lead with a two-run homer in the seventh but Castleton answered back in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer by sophomore Eric Anderson (Chester, VT) to get on the board 7-2.

In the eighth, the Spartans plated two more runs and closed the gap to 7-4 off four hits and an error with singles by junior Ryan Bouck (Schenectady, NY), junior Phil Puleo (Utica, NY), sophomore Tim Zorio (Shrewsbury, VT) and sophomore Chris Ragis (South Bennington, VT). Massey managed a single in the ninth but the rally fell short as Castleton left him stranded.

Sophomore Keith Nason (Glenburn, ME) earned the win for Husson, going seven while senior Travis Tripp (Bar Harbor, ME) struck out four in two innings of work. Repeat hitters for the Eagles were: Harvey (3/5, 1R, 1RBI), junior Adam Sheehan (Bucksport, ME) (3/5) and Spencer (2/4, 2R, 2RBI).

Junior Adam Kuhn (Bellows Falls, VT) struck out eight in the loss for Castleton and Anderson, Massey, Zorio and Ragis all had two hits apiece for the Spartans.

(Box Score)

NORTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Hosted by Saint Joseph's College

Clutch Hitting Lifts Monks Over Husson in 10 innings
St. Joe's Advances to Championship Round

STANDISH, MAINE – Home runs by sophomore Dustin Spiller (Gorham, ME) and junior Mark Clapp (Blue Hill, ME) gave St. Joe’s an 11-9 victory in today’s 10-inning battle. Husson (24-14) plays Castleton State (22-18) in the 6 p.m. game this evening while the Monks will take on the winner of that game at noon tomorrow.

Spiller crushed a ninth inning lead-off homer over the right field fence to break an 8-8 tie, but Husson responded in the bottom of the inning as senior Jason Harvey (Bucksport, ME) singled and scored off a hit by senior Chris McInnis (Winslow, ME).

With one out, St. Joe’s intentionally walked two batters to set the stage for a spectacular 1-2-3 double play to end the inning.

Sophomore Brian Schools (Gorham, ME) singled to start the tenth and NAC Rookie of the Year Wade Oliver (Owls Head, ME) moved him to second and beat out the throw to first for a bunt single.

With Clapp at the plate, Schools was caught stealing and thrown out at third, but Clapp then ripped a two-run shot over center field to give St. Joe’s an 11-9 lead. Senior Ben Muniz (Readfield, ME) drilled a shot to the left field warning track, but sophomore Nate Ellis (Hermon, ME) made the catch for the final out.

Sophomore Miles Johnson (Berwick, ME) came into the game in the tenth with a runner on first base and with the help of the Monks defense, slammed the door shut on the Eagles.

Junior Sam Tupper (Yarmouth, ME) earned the win and Johnson was credited with a save while Jack Hughes (Dudley, MA) struck out five in six innings for St. Joe’s.

The Monks were led by Oliver (3/6, 1R, 3RBI), Schools (3/5) and Clapp (1/5, 1R, 3RBI).

Leading the Eagles were Harvey (3/6, 2R, 1RBI), McInnis (2/4, 1R, 2 RBI) and junior Adam Sheehan (Bucksport, ME) (2/3,2R, 1RBI). Sophomore Jon Tefft (Lisbon, ME) took the loss for Husson.

(Box Score)

NORTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Hosted by Saint Joseph's College

Thomas College Eliminated - Edged Out by Castleton 10-9

STANDISH, MAINE – A six-run 7th inning made the difference as #3 Castleton State defeated #4 Thomas College 10 - 9 today in Game 3 of the NAC Tournament at Mahaney Diamond. Castleton (22-18, 8-6) will play the loser of the 2:00 p.m. St. Joe’s/Husson match-up at 6:00 p.m. this evening. Thomas finishes the tournament 15-25 overall record and 7-7 NAC.

Castleton plated a run in the first and took advantage of three Thomas errors in second to score twice and go up 3-0.

Thomas got on the board in the top of the third as senior Jerry Randall (Milton, NH) doubled and scored of a sacrifice fly by sophomore Tim Mercier (Lewiston, ME).

The Spartans made it 4-1 in the sixth after a single by senior Adam Massey (Jacksonville, FL) scored sophomore Eric Anderson (Chester, VT).

Randall evened the score for the Terriers with a three-run homer in the seventh.

In the seventh, Castleton went up 10-4 with six runs on five hits which included a 2-RBI double by freshman Oliver Aldrich (Saratoga, NY).

Showing no signs of defeat, Thomas added four runs in the eighth and one more as junior Brandon Connors (Rochester, NH) hit a lead off homer in the ninth to close the gap to 10-9. After two ground outs and a single by freshman Nick Schauwecker, Castleton closed out the game on a fly out to left field.

(Box Score)

NORTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Hosted by Saint Joseph's College

Husson Defeats Castleton to Advance to Semi-Finals

STANDISH, MAINE – #2 Husson College (24-13, 9-4 NAC) defeated #3 Castleton State (20-17, 7-6 NAC) 4-2 in Game 2 of the NAC Tournament at Mahaney Diamond this evening. Husson takes on St. Joe’s at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow while Castleton will face Thomas at 10:00 a.m.

Junior James Gray (Corinth, ME) went the distance for Husson, striking out seven and allowing just five hits. Freshman Jeremy Gilcris (Chester, VT) recorded six strikeouts in the loss for Castleton.

Castleton jumped out to an early lead in the first as senior Adam Massey singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Phil Puleo (Utica, NY). Massey added another run in the third, scoring off a single by sophomore Anthony DiPietrantonio (Yorktown Heights, NY) to put the Spartans up 2-0.

Husson responded with a run in the fourth as senior Chris McInnis (Winslow, ME) singled and scored to make it 2-1.

The Eagles used two hits and three Castleton errors to plate 3 more runs. Senior Jason Harvey (Bucksport, ME) drove in two runs with a double and McInnis singled in the final run of the game.

(Box Score)

NORTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Hosted by Saint Joseph's College

Furbush Throws Complete-Game Shutout - Strikes out 15

STANDISH, MAINE – #1 Saint Joseph's College (31-8-1, 12-1 NAC) defeated #4 Thomas College (15-24, 7-6 NAC) 4-0 in Game 1 of the NAC Tournament at Mahaney Diamond today. St. Joe’s will take on the winner of #3 Castleton/#2 Husson at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow while Thomas will play the loser at 10:00 a.m.

NAC Player of the Year sophomore Charlie Furbush (South Portland, ME) tied his career best 15 strikeouts, allowed just two hits and went 2/3 with a solo home run.

Sophomore Dustin Spiller (Gorham, ME) singled and scored on a sacrifice by Jake Rodden (Somersworth, NH) to put St. Joe’s up 1-0 in the second.

In the fifth, Furbush singled to right center and scored on a hit by junior Keil Martin (Saco, ME) and sophomore Brian Schools (Gorham, ME) hit a double and scored on a single by junior Mark Clapp (Blue Hill, ME) to make it 3-0.

Furbush added a run in the seventh with a solo home.

The Monks were led by Clapp (2/4, 1 RBI) and Martin (2/3, 2 runs, 1 RBI).

Senior Ryan Rulman (Westbrook, ME) (6-3) struck out 2 and took the loss forThomas. Junior Jim Pierce (Dorchester, MA) and sophomore Tim Mercier (Lewiston, ME) each had a hit for the Terriers.

(Box Score)

NCAA DIVISION III BASEBALL REGIONAL POLL

INDIANAPOLIS ---The NCAA Division III Baseball Committee has released this week's Division III baseball regional rankings for games through May 2, 2006. The committee has ranked the top 15 percent of teams in each region, this will amount to Central - five teams, Mid-Atlantic - eight teams, Mideast - seven teams, Midwest - six teams, New England - nine teams, New York - six teams, South - six teams, and West - six teams.

RANKINGS FOR NEW ENGLAND REGION
(Name of School is followed by Regional Record and then Overall Record)

1. Wheaton (Massachusetts), 28-2, 31-6
2. St. Joseph’s (Maine), 25-4-1, 30-8-1
3. Southern Maine, 21-7, 24-12
4. Salem State, 20-4, 30-6
5. Middlebury, 14-4, 20-7
6. Western New England, 30-7, 31-8
7. Bowdoin, 23-5-1, 25-5-1
8. Williams, 17-5, 26-7
9. Keene State, 21-8, 26-12

The next ranking will take place on May 11.

NAC BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS ANNOUNCED

Sophomore pitcher Charlie Furbush of Saint Joseph’s College was honored as the North Atlantic Conference Baseball Player of the Year in a vote by the conference coaches. Furbush, who earned co-Player of the Year last season as a freshman, leads the nation in strikeouts per nine innings with an average of 14.6. In seven appearances during conference play, Furbush was 4-0 with two saves posting a 2.14 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 21 innings. The hurler allowed just 10 hits and five earned runs as opponents hit a meager .141 against him.

St. Joseph’s freshman outfielder Wade Oliver earned Rookie of the Year accolades. Oliver hit .357 with 4 RBI while scoring 9 runs and posting a .607 slugging percentage during league contests. Furbush and Oliver led St. Joseph’s to
a regular season record of 11-1. The Monks will host this weekend’s NAC baseball tournament.

Thomas head coach Greg King was selected as NAC Coach of the Year by his peers. After a 2005 campaign in which the Terriers posted just one conference victory, King led this year’s squad to a 7-5 league mark and an appearance in the upcoming NAC baseball tournament.

Thomas and Maine-Farmington shared the Team Sportsmanship Award.

NAC all-conference selections are determined by a vote of the conference coaches. Additional players honored are due to ties in the voting.

NAC BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

SAINT JOSEPH’S TO HOST NAC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Defending champion Saint Joseph’s College of Maine secured the top seed in the upcoming North Atlantic Conference baseball tournament. The Monks (11-1 NAC, 30-7-1 overall) will host the three-day, double-elimination tournament beginning Friday, May 5. St. Joseph’s will take on fourth seed Thomas College (7-5 NAC, 15-23 overall) in game 1 at 2:00 p.m. Second seed Husson College (8-4 NAC, 23-13 overall) and third seed Castleton State College (7-5 NAC, 10-17 overall) will meet in game 2 at 6:00 p.m.

The top four teams qualify for the NAC Championship with predetermined tie-breaking procedures used to seed the tournament field.

Please note that game times are subject to change.

NAC Baseball Championship at Saint Joseph's College

Friday, May 5
GAME 1: (4) Thomas at (1) St. Joseph’s (ME) 2:00 PM
GAME 2: (3) Castleton State at (2) Husson 6:00 PM

Saturday, May 6
GAME 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 10:00 AM
GAME 4: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 2:00 PM
GAME 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 6:00 PM

Sunday, May 7
GAME 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5 12:00 PM
GAME 7 (If necessary): Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6 4:00 PM

Saint Joseph's Drops to Seventh Place in NEIBA Coaches' Poll

New England College Baseball Coaches Poll
Conducted by New England College Baseball Coaches
(First Place Votes in parentheses, followed by record and total points)

Division III
1. Wheaton (6) 31-6 48 pts.
2. Western New England 31-8 36 pts.
3. Bowdoin 25-5-1 32 pts.
4. Salem State 30-6 21 pts.
5. Southern Maine 23-12 19 pts.
6. Williams 25-7 18 pts.
7. Saint Joseph’s (ME) 30-7-1 15 pts.
8. Keene State 26-12 8 pts.

Also Receiving Votes: Amherst (4), Brandeis (4), Middlebury (4), Tufts (4), Eastern Connecticut (2).

St. Joe's Loses Rubber Match with USM

GORHAM, ME – Saint Joseph's College (30-8-1) lost to USM 13-2 on Monday afternoon at the USM Baseball Stadium in Gorham. Junior Chris Doughty (Windham, ME) had two of the five Monk hits. The game marks the third and final regular season meeting of the teams with USM (24-12) holding a 2-1 advantage.

After three and a half scoreless innings, the Huskies got on the board scoring five runs in the bottom of the fourth.

St. Joe’s started to chip away at the lead in the fifth as Doughty singled, stole second and went on to score on an error. USM responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 9-1.

Sophomore Luke Enman (Milan, NH) scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Dustin Spiller (Gorham, ME) in the sixth but the Huskies added another run in the seventh to go up 10-2.

USM plated three more runs in the eighth.

Burleson (4-1) struck out ten in seven innings, earning the win for USM while sophomore Steven Stout (Gloucester, MA) (2-2) took the loss for St. Joe’s.

The Monks take on Thomas College on Friday, May 5 at 2:00 p.m. as Saint Joseph's College hosts the North Atlantic Conference Championship.

Monks Win Two at Thomas
Clinch First Place in North Atlantic Conference

WATERVILLE, ME – The Saint Joseph's College baseball team completed North Atlantic Conference regular season play on Saturday, defeating Thomas College 4-2 and 7-3. The Monks improve to 11-1 NAC and 30-7-1 overall. This is the second 30-win season in a row for St. Joe’s.

Jack Hughes (Dudley, MA) recorded his sixth win of the season, striking out four in the game one 4-2 victory. Sophomore Charlie Furbush (S. Portland, ME) struck out two of eight batters faced and recorded his fifth save of the season for the Monks.

After two scoreless innings, St. Joe’s had three runs on four hits in the third. Junior Mark Clapp (Blue Hill, ME) had a 2-RBI single and sophomore Luke Enman (Milan, NH) added an RBI single.

Sophomore Brian Schools (Gorham, ME) doubled in the fourth to score Jake Rodden (Somersworth, NH) and put the Monks up 4-0.

Thomas (15-20, 7-4 NAC) added a run in the sixth and seventh on an RBI single by Mike Chamard (Livermore Falls, ME) and an RBI double by Jim Pierce (Dorchester, MA). Ryan Rulman (Westbrook, ME) took the loss for the Terriers.

The Monks were led by Enman (2/4, 1 RBI) and Clapp (1/4, 2 RBI).

In game two, junior Ben Cutter (Westbrook, ME) (4-2) went five innings and struck out three as St. Joe’s recorded a 7-3 win.

Clapp put the Monks on the scoreboard with a two-run homer in the first and junior Chris Doughty (Windham, ME) and sophomore Andrew Dvilinsky (Portland, ME) singled in the fifth to drive in three more runs.

St. Joe’s extended the lead to 7-0 in the sixth as Schools doubled and scored and Furbush singled to score freshman Wade Oliver (Owls Head, ME).

Thomas scored their only runs of the game in the seventh, plating three runs on two hits. Jordan Stebbins (Gardiner, ME) (2-4) took the loss.

Leading St. Joe’s were Clapp (2/4, 1 run, 3 RBI), Doughty (3/4, 2 RBI) and Schools (3/4, 1 run).

The Monks play at USM on Monday, May 1, at 3:30 p.m. So far this season, the Monks have won at USM, and then USM won here at SJC just last week, so the May 1 game will be the rubber match between the teams!

Johnson Strikes out 7, Monks Win 3-1

STANDISH, ME – Sophomore Miles Johnson (Berwick, ME) (3-0) fanned seven and allowed only four hits as Saint Joseph's College defeated Husson 3-1 last night.

A first inning 2-RBI triple by sophomore Charlie Furbush (South Portland, ME) helped the Monks secure the win. Senior captain Ben Muniz (Readfield, ME) doubled to score freshman Wade Oliver (Owls Head, ME) prior to the hit by Furbush.

The Eagles scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Sean Brawn.

Furbush faced and struck out one batter in the sixth to earn his fourth save of the season and Keith Nason struck out 4 and took the loss for Husson.

The Monks host USM on 4/27 at 5:00 p.m.

Monks and Polar Bears Battle to End in 4-4 Tie

BRUNSWICK, Maine - In a battle worthy of regionally-ranked teams, the Bowdoin College and Saint Joseph's College baseball teams played to a 4-4 tie in Brunswick on Monday afternoon. The game was called after nine innings due to oncoming darkness and deteriorating weather conditions. The Polar Bears (21-5-1) are ranked third in latest New England poll, while Saint Joseph's (27-6-1) stands fifth.

The Monks appeared to be in control for the first seven innings, as starting pitcher Steven Stout allowed just three hits over the first seven frames. Saint Joseph's scored twice in the third inning, on a triple to right field by Wade Oliver, and added another run on a solo homer down the right-field line by Dustin Spiller to lead 3-0 heading into the eighth. The Polar Bears battled back, however, and deadlocked the game with three runs in the inning. Jared Lemieux, who tied the school record
for career hits with 172, smacked a run-scoring single to center that scored John Lawrie from second base. Ricky Leclerc followed with a sharp single to left and, with two outs, Jon Koperniak tied the game with a triple to right field that soared over the head of St. Joe'sright-fielder Chris Doughty.

The Monks replied with a run in the top of the ninth, as Brian Schools laced a single to center to score pinch-runner Stephan Gorsun and reclaim the lead, 4-3. But Bowdoin catcher Mike Buckley threw out Schools attempting to steal second base to keep the deficit at a single run. In the bottom of the ninth, pinch-hitter Pat Duchette drew a leadoff walk and pinch-runner Ben Yormak stole second. A Chris Bucci groundout to second base moved Yormak to third, and Chris McCann plated him with a single to right. Bowdoin could not find the go-ahead run, however, and the game was called.

The tie brings an end to a pair of lengthy winning streaks. Bowdoin had won a school-record 11 straight games entering play on Monday, while St. Joseph's had won 14 consecutive contests. Monday's tie was the first for Bowdoin since the 1998 season, when the Polar Bears played, coincidentally, St. Joseph's to a 5-5 deadlock.

THe Monks head to rival Husson College in Bangor today for a non-conference doubleheader starting at 4 PM.

Two Monks Honored as NAC Baseball
Player and Rookie of the Week

Charlie Furbush (Sophomore, P/1B - South Portland, Maine) was named the North Atlantic Conference Co-Player of the Week for the week ending April 23, 2006. Furbush shares the stage with Justin Spencer (Senior, CF - Brewer, Maine) of Husson College.

In four appearances this week, Furbush picked up two wins over Elms and two saves (USM, Becker). In 7.2 innings of work, the sophomore struck out 13 batters, allowed no hits, no runs and no walks. At the plate, Furbush hit 2 triples, scored 5 runs and added an RBI and 3 walks on the week.

Wade Oliver (Freshman, OF - Owls Head, Maine) earned Rookie of the Week honors for the third time this season.

Oliver went 6-for-10 with 3 runs and 3 RBI including a double, a triple and a home run. The freshman provided the game winning run in game 2 against Elms with a walk-off home run in the 8th.

Saint Joseph's Moves up to Fifth Place in NEIBA Coaches' Poll

New England College Baseball Coaches Poll
Conducted by New England College Baseball Coaches
(First Place Votes in parentheses, followed by record and total points)

Division III
1. Wheaton (6)    27-6    48 pts.
2. Western New England     28-8    39 pts.
3. Bowdoin    21-5    33 pts.
4. Salem State     26-5    22 pts.
5. St. Joseph 's    27-6    17 pts.
6. Keene State    22-11    12 pts.
7. Southern Maine     17-11    11 pts.
8. Williams    20-7    10 pts.

Also Receiving Votes: Brandeis (9), Salve Regina (5), MCLA (3), Tufts (3), Amherst (2), Eastern Connecticut (1), Middlebury (1).

MONKS SWEEP WEEKEND DOUBLEHEADERS

STANDISH, ME – The Saint Joseph's College baseball team improved to 27-6 (9-1 nac) with four important North Atlantic Conference wins. On Saturday, the Monks swept Elms College (6-25, 2-8 NAC) with two 4-3 victories and went on to sweep Becker College (14-15, 5-5 NAC) 3-2 and 1-0 on Sunday.

Sat., 4/22/06 - In game one against Elms, sophomore Dustin Spiller (Gorham, ME) singled and scored in the second inning, but Elms answered back with three runs in the fourth. The Monks tied the game 3-3 in the fifth as junior Keil Martin (Saco, ME) reached on an error and scored and junior Mark Clapp (Blue Hill, ME) singled and scored on a hit by Spiller.

St. Joe’s recorded the game winner in the sixth after sophomore Charlie Furbush (South Portland, ME) tripled and scored on a single by sophomore Brian Schools (Gorham, ME).

Junior Ben Cutter (Westbrook, ME) struck out 5 batters in five innings for the Monks and Furbush took the win, striking out 3 and allowing no hits in two innings.

Furbush (8-1) picked up another win in game two, striking out 5 and allowing no hits in three innings. Senior Steve Lambert (Gonic, NH) went five innings for St. Joe’s.

Freshman Wade Oliver (Owls Head, ME) went 3 for 4 with a walk-off home run in the eighth to secure the 4-3 win for the Monks.

Sun., 4/23/06 - Jack Hughes (Dudley, MA) (5-0) struck out 10 and allowed just two hits in a 3-2 win over Becker College.

The Hawks plated a run in the first, but the Monks evened the score in the third as sophomore Luke Enman (Milan, NH) singled to score Martin. St. Joe’s added to the lead in the fourth as Furbush scored on a double by Schools, but Becker tied the score 2-2 in the fifth.

Sophomore Andrew Wood (South Portland, ME) ended the game with a walk-off home run in the eighth.

In game two, freshman Chris Leger (Jaffrey, NH) (3-0) earned a 1-0 victory with 4 strikeouts and Furbush recorded the save.

The lone run of the game was scored in the third as Wood singled and went on to score on a single by Oliver.

The Monks travel to Bowdoin on 4/24 for a 4:00 p.m. non-conference match-up.

Saint Joseph's Rallies to Defeat Southern Maine 7-4

GORHAM, Maine -- The Saint Joseph's College Monks rallied for five runs over the final two innings en route to a 7-4 win over the University of Southern Maine in a non-conference college baseball game Friday afternoon at the USM Baseball Field.
The win extends the Monks' winning streak to 10 games and improves their overall record to 23-6. The Huskies, who had their seven-game winning streak stopped, slip to 15-9 overall.

Trailing 4-2 heading into the eighth inning, the Monks used two hits, a hit batsman and a throwing error to score three times to take a 5-4 lead. They added a couple of insurance runs in the ninth to seal the win.

Sophomore SS Brian Schools (Gorham, Maine) opened the eighth with a single, and moved to second when junior LF Keil Martin (Saco, Maine) was hit by a pitch. Junior 3B Mark Clapp (Blue Hill, Maine/George Stevens Academy) laid down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away down the right field line, allowing Schools and Martin to score, and Clapp to wind up on third. Sophomore 2B Luke Enman (Milan, N.H./Berlin) smacked a double to score Clapp with the go ahead run.

In the ninth, sophomore CF Dustin Spiller (Gorham, Maine), who had three hits, came up with a clutch two-out, two-run single to give the Monks some breathing room.

Southern Maine opened a 4-0 lead in the first three innings before the Monks chipped away for an unearned run in the fourth and seventh innings.

The Huskies scored in the first on a sacrifice fly by junior RF Ryan Bourque (Sanford, Maine). In the third, the Huskies got RBI singles from Bourque and junior 1B Max Arsenault (Boothbay, Maine). Bourque, who had taken second on a throw to plate, scored when Arsenault's single was mishandled in the outfield.

Senior P Jack Hughes (Dudley, Mass.) picked up the win in relief. Hughes came on with one out in the seventh and struck out three of the four batters he faced. Sophomore DH/P Charlie Furbush (South Portland, Maine) came on in the eight to earn a save. Furbush fanned four of the five batters he faced. Senior P Brett Rogers (Orr's Island, Maine/Mt. Ararat) was tagged with the loss for the Huskies.

Saint Joseph's will host Elms College in a North Atlantic Conference doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1:00 p.m.

St. Joe’s Takes Two from Thomas

STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph’s College improved to 22-6 with 13-2 and 2-0 wins over Thomas College (11-16) tonight.

The Monks took advantage of back to back 5-run innings in the fourth and fifth to seal the game one victory. Sophomore Andrew Wood (South Portland, ME), junior Keil Martin (Saco, ME) and sophomore Luke Enman (Milan, NH) all homered in the fifth inning to put the game out of reach for the Terriers.

Sophomore Steven Stout (Gloucester, MA) (2-1) recorded the win, pitching 5 innings for St. Joe’s and Brandon Leon took the loss for Thomas.

In game two, sophomore Miles Johnson (Berwick, ME) (2-0) threw a complete game shut-out, allowing just two hits and striking out 5.

The Monks took a 1-0 lead in the first as Enman hit a sacrifice fly to score freshman Wade Oliver (Owls Head, ME). Junior Mark Clapp (Blue Hill, ME) hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth to score freshman Stephan Gorsun (South Berwick, ME).

Aaron Bouyea recorded the loss for the Terriers.

St. Joe’s travels to Southern Maine for a 3:00 p.m. game on Friday, April 21, and hosts both Elms and Becker Colleges this Sat.-Sun. for North Atlantic Conference doubleheaders.

Monks Defeat Raiders

STANDISH, ME - St. Joe’s won their seventh game in a row and improved to 20-6 overall with a 10-8 non-conference victory over Rivier College this evening.

The Monks jumped out to an early 2-0 lead as sophomore Brian Schools (Gorham, ME) singled and scored off a sacrifice fly by senior captain Ben Muniz (Readfield, ME). Junior Mark Clapp (Blue Hill, ME) doubled and scored off a double by sophomore Dustin Spiller (Gorham, ME).

St. Joe’s extended the lead in the second as two runs scored on a single by sophomore Luke Enman (Milan, NH). Enman stole second and scored on a single by Muniz to put the Monks up 5-0.

Rivier plated a run in the third after two singles and added three more runs in the fourth to make it 5-4.

In the sixth, Muniz tripled to score 2 runs and went home on a single by Spiller. Junior Chris Doughty (Windham, ME) hit his first home run of the season to put the Monks up 10-4.

The Raiders added another run in the seventh, but fell short after a three run rally in the ninth made it 10-8.

The Monks were led by Muniz (3/5, 1 Run, 3 RBI). Sophomore Charlie Furbush (S. Portland, ME), Schools, Spiller, and Doughty had two hits apiece. Freshman Chris Leger (Jaffrey, NH) recorded the win for St. Joe’s.

St. Joe’s hosts the Thomas College Terriers for a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday, April 20, at 5:00 p.m.

Saint Joseph's Ranked Sixth in NEIBA Coaches' Poll

New England College Baseball Coaches Poll
Conducted by New England College Baseball Coaches
(First Place Votes in parentheses, followed by record and total points)

Division III
1. Wheaton (3)  21-6 30 pts.
2. Western New England  23-7 24 pts.
3. Salem State (1)  23-4 21 pts.
3. Keene State 20-9  21 pts.
5. Bowdoin 17-5  17 pts.
6. St. Joseph’s ME 19-6  8 pts.
7. Trinity 16-8  7 pts.
7. Southern Maine 13-8  7 pts.

Also Receiving Votes: Middlebury (3), MIT (2), Suffolk (2), Salve Regina
(1), Williams (1).

Luke Enman Named NAC Co-Player of the Week

Luke Enman (Milan, N.H.) was named the North Atlantic Conference Co-Player of the Week for the week ending April 16, 2006. Enman shares the honor with sophomore catcher Kevin Renaud of Becker College.

In a 3-0 week for the Monks, Enman batted .666 (8/12) with 4 runs, 8 RBI, 3 home runs, and a double. In a double-header sweep of Maine-Farmington, the sophomore hit a pair of home runs as St. Joseph's improved their league mark to 5-1. Earlier in the week in a 6-3 win at Colby, Enman sent in the tying run with a sacrifice in the third, hit an RBI single to take the lead in the 5th and hit a 2-RBI homerun in the 9th to seal the victory.

Saint Joe’s Sweeps UMF In NAC Baseball, 7-0 and 9-1

Farmington, Me. - Saint Joseph’s College received a strong pitching performance from Charlie Furbush (South Portland, Me.) in the opener and from a quartet of pitchers in the second game to sweep UMF, 7-0 and 9-1, in NAC baseball action this afternoon in Farmington.

Furbush fired a complete-game, three-hit shutout, while Jack Hughes (Dudley, Mass.) pitched four shutout innings in the nightcap. Saint Joseph's record now stands at 17-6, 5-1 NAC, while Maine-Farmington drops to 3-13, 1-5 NAC.

Facing the NAC’s top pitcher in the opener, the Beavers mustered a trio of singles, but struck out 15 times in the 7-0 defeat. Chip Burnham (Winthrop, Me.), Corey Provencher (Rumford, Me.) and Brody Artes (Howland, Me.) reached Furbush for the hits, while the Monks scored twice in the fourth and fifth innings to break open a 1-0 game. Luke Enman (Milan, N.H.) led St. Joe’s with a 3-for-4 effort, including a two-run home run in the seventh.

The Monks scored four times in the second inning on their way to a 9-1, game two win, the highlight of the inning a three-run HR from Jake Rodden (Somersworth, N.H.). UMF scored its lone run in the fifth when Tom Danylik (Biddeford, Me.) walked and later scored on Provencher’s RBI single.

The Monks return to action on Monday, April 17 at 7 PM for a game under the lights versus Rivier College.

SAINT JOSEPH'S TAKES VICTORY OVER COLBY

WATERVILLE, Maine ---- Luke Enman (Milan, N.H.) had three hits, including a home run, and Steven Stout (Gloucester, Mass.) pitched into the eighth inning to lead Saint Joseph's College to a 6-3 non-conference victory over Colby College in baseball Tuesday at Coombs Field.

Enman had a two-run homer in the ninth inning that helped Saint Joseph's take
the 6-3 lead. Meanwhile, Stout pitched seven and two-thirds innings to earn his first victory of the year. Jack Hughes (Dudley, Mass.) got the final out of the eighth and pitched the ninth for his second save.

Colby (6-8) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by Roddy Ames (Cotuit, Mass.) that brought in Nick Spillane (Darien, Conn.). St. Joe's (17-6) got a lone run in the third inning to tie the game and then went ahead for good with three runs in the fifth. Ben Muniz (Readfield, Maine) had a two-run single and Enman had an RBI single in the inning.

Enman's two-run homer in the ninth proved to be valuable runs after the Mules had scored two runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth inning. Andy Carr (Conway, N.H.) had an RBI double and Ames had another RBI single. Muniz and Keil Martin (Saco, Maine) both had two hits for the Monks. Craig Cooper (Trumbull, Conn.) finished with two hits and a run scored for Colby.

The Monks Journey to Maine-Farmington on Friday, April 14, for a Conference doubleheader starting at 12 noon.

Monks Take Two from #1-Ranked Keene State Owls

Keene, NH – Saint Joseph's College (16-6, 3-1 NAC) won both games of a non-conference doubleheader, defeating Keene State 6-2 and 5-4. Keene headed into the weekend ranked #1 by the New England College Baseball Coaches' poll and St. Joe’s was ranked #8.

The Monks struck first, plating two runs in the second. Senior Ben Muniz (Readfield, ME) was hit by a pitch and sophomore Dustin Spiller (Gorham, ME) singled to left followed by junior Chris Doughty (Windham, ME) reaching on a throwing error that scored Muniz and Spiller.

St. Joe’s added four runs in the fifth as junior Keil Martin (Saco, ME) doubled to right field and Spiller, sophomore Andrew Dvilinsky (Portland, ME) and sophomore Charlie Furbush (South Portland, ME) all singled.

The Owls took advantage of a pair of Monks' errors, an RBI single from James Chevalier (Amherst, NH) and an infield hit from Jeremy Schilling (Centerville, MA), to cut their deficit to 6-2.

Junior Sam Tupper (Yarmouth, ME) improved to 3-0, pitching 5 2/3 innings giving up 2 runs on 5 hits with three strike outs and two walks. Phil Mabey (2-1) took the loss for the Owls. Spiller had three hits and sophomore Luke Enman (Milan, NH) had two hits for St. Joe’s.

In game 2, Keene jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI double from Schilling. With two outs, the Owls added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth.

The Monks added a run in the top of the sixth inning after Dvilinsky and Furbush singled. Sophomore Brian Schools (Gorham, ME) came in to pinch run for Dvilinsky and scored on a wild pitch. Martin, who finished 3 for 4, tied the score at 4 with a three-run homer.

Muniz won the game for the Monks with a solo home run to right field in the ninth inning.

Furbush (5-1) took the win for St. Joe’s (16-6), striking out 6 while Keene is 17-7 and Greg Ford (Nashua, NH) recorded the loss.

The Monks return to action at Colby on Tues., April 11, at 4 p.m.

Saint Joseph's Splits with Castleton in Conference Doubleheader

Fair Haven, VT - The Monks took game one, 11-4, but could not solve the problem of Castleton's starting pitcher, Jeremy Gilcris in the second, dropping that one 3-2.

In the opener, Andrew Wood (S. Portland, Me.) led Saint Joseph's with a double, a single and two RBIs and Dustin Spiller (Gorham, Me.) contributed two singles.

In game two, Spiller had three singles to lead the Monks' 14-hit attack, whileLuke Enman (Milan, N.H.), had a triple, a single and three RBIs.

Saint Joseph's record stands at 14-6, 3-1 in the North Atlantic Conference.

The Monks continue on to Keene, N.H. to face the #1-ranked Owls for a doubleheader starting at 12 noon.

Saint Joe’s Takes Two from Husson in Conference Opener

STANDISH, Me. – Tri-captain Jack Hughes (Dudley, MA), 2-0, struck out 9 and allowed only 4 hits to earn a 1-0 win in game one of the NAC Conference baseball double-header. Freshman Anthony DeRosa (Bangor, ME) took the loss for Husson.

After five and a half scoreless innings, the Monks brought home the winning run in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Wade Oliver (Owls Head, ME) singled, junior Mark Clapp (Blue Hill, ME) reached on an error and moved Oliver to third. Sophomore Luke Enman (Milan, NH) drove in Oliver with a sacrifice.

The Monks retired the final three batters in the top of the seventh to secure the win.

Freshman Jeff Miller (Veazie, ME) had a double and a single for the Eagles.

St. Joe’s improved to 13-5 overall with a 7-4 victory in game two and sophomore Charlie Furbush (South Portland, ME) is now 4-1 on the season.

The Monks jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning as Oliver doubled, junior Chris Doughty (Windham, ME), sophomore Andrew Dvilinsky (Portland, ME) and Furbush singled. A home run by Enman in the second inning made it 5-0.

The Eagles answered back, scoring 2 runs in the third as sophomore Danny White (Dover, ME) singled and scored on a home run by senior Justin Spencer (Brewer, ME).

Furbush singled and scored on a sacrifice by Clapp in the fourth to put the Monks up 6-2 and White scored for Husson in the fifth inning to keep the Eagles within striking distance.

In the bottom of the fifth, Doughty singled and scored for St. Joe’s off a Dvilinsky single and Husson plated another run in the top of the sixth to make it 7-4 but would get no closer as junior Sam Tupper (Yarmouth, ME) struck out 2 of 3 batters in the seventh inning to close out the game.

Dvilinsky finished with 3 hits and 2 RBI and Doughty had 2 hits, 2 runs and 2 RBI for St. Joe’s. White had 2 hits, 2 runs and an RBI while Spencer added 2 hits, 1 run and 2 RBI for the Eagles.

The Monks travel to Castleton State (Vt.) for a North Atlantic Conference match-up on Saturday, April 8, at 2 p.m., and will face #1 Keene State (N.H.) on Sunday, April 9, at 12 noon.

MUNIZ NAMED NAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Senior first baseman Ben Muniz (Readfield, Me./Maranacook) has been named the North Atlantic Conferece Player of the Week for the week ending April 2, 2006.

In three wins for St. Joseph's on a 4-0 week, Muniz was 7-10 at the plate, including three doubles, a triple and a home run, while scoring nine runs.

Saint Joseph's Spoils Home Opener for PSU Baseball
Monks Take Two Non-Conference Games from Panthers

PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Saint Joseph 's College baseball clubbed 24 hits and scored 21 runs Sunday afternoon, spoiling the home opener for Plymouth State University and sweeping the non-conference doubleheader at Panther Park, 9-2 and 12-6.

The Monks also got solid pitching efforts, limiting the Panthers to eight runs and nine hits in the twinbill. Saint Joseph 's extended its winning streak to five games and improved to 11-5 overall, while PSU fell to 6-10.

PSU had a 2-1 lead through four innings of the opener, but the Monks rallied with three runs in the fifth inning, one in the sixth and four more in the seventh and final frame.  Sophomore Luke Enman (Milan, N.H.) led Saint Joe's with three hits and three RBI, while senior Ben Muniz (Readfield, Maine) added two hits and a walk and scored three runs and junior Chris Doughty (Windham, Maine) chipped in with a pair of RBI singles.

Freshman Josh Labossiere (Lincoln, R.I.) accounted for both Panther runs. He led off the first inning with a walk, went to second on a balk, stole third, and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior C.J. Rousseau (Merrimack, N.H.). Labossiere then cracked his first career home run in the third inning, the first of two round-trippers on the day.

Sophomore Charlie Furbush (South Portland, Maine) started and won the opener for the Monks, improving his record to 3-1. He gave up two hits, two walks and two runs in four innings while striking out five. Junior Tim Conway (Bedford, N.H./West) started and took the loss for PSU.

Saint Joseph 's took an early 7-0 lead in the nightcap, scoring five times in the first inning and twice more in the second. PSU got on the board with a pair in the last of the second and one in the third, but the Monks put the game away with two more runs in the fourth inning and three in the fifth.

Muniz and Enman again did the damage offensively for the Monks, each with a double and a home run and combining for five hits, four RBI and seven runs scored. Furbush also contributed four RBI with a pair of two-run singles.

Labossiere had two more hits for PSU in the nightcap and two RBI, both coming on his second homer of the day. 

Both teams used several pitchers, with junior Ben Cutter (Westbrook, Maine) picking up the win in relief for the Monks and freshman starter Jay Kleponis (Reading, Mass.) taking the loss for the Panthers.

SJC returns home to host Husson in a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 5, at 1:00 p.m.

Monks Rout UMPI, 29-0, 10-0

STANDISH, ME – The Saint Joseph's College baseball team swept its home opening double header against Maine Presque Isle (0-4) to improve to 9-5 on the year.

The Monks recorded their second and third shut-outs of the season winning the games 29-0 and 10-0.

St. Joe’s won by the Mercy Rule in game one after plating 3 runs in the first inning and adding 17 runs in the second inning. The lead was extended with 5 runs in the 3rd and 4 in the fourth inning.

The Owls managed just one hit in the game as sophomore Josh Biddington (Moncton, NB) singled in the second inning.

St. Joe’s sophomore Miles Johnson (Berwick, ME) struck out 4 in his first win of the season and sophomore Brandon Elie (Auburn, ME) took the loss for Presque Isle.

Sophomore Charlie Furbush (South Portland, ME) led the way for the Monks with 4 hits, 5 runs and 6 RBI and sophomore Brian Schools (Gorham, ME) had 4 hits, 3 runs and 2 RBI. Freshman Sean O’Brien (Arlington, MA) had 3 hits, including a three-run homer and 5 RBI while junior Chris Doughty (Windham, ME) had 3 hits, 4 runs and 3 RBI.

In game 2, the Monks held a slim 2-0 lead going into the 5th and ended the game by the 10-run rule after scoring 8 runs to take a 10-0 victory.

Freshman Chris Leger (Jaffrey, NH) earned his first win of the season allowing only 1 hit and striking out four. Junior Tyson Weeks (Wilton, ME) recorded the loss for the Owls.

Sophomore Luke Enman (Milan, NH) had a homer and a triple and senior captain Ben Muniz (Readfield, ME) had a double and a triple to lead the Monks.

Freshman Wade Oliver (Owls Head, ME) had 3 hits, including a triple in the first inning, and sophomore Andrew Wood (South Portland, ME) added three hits to help seal the win for St. Joe’s.

Oliver Again Earns NAC Rookie-of-the-Week Honor

Saint Joseph’s College freshman Wade Oliver (Owls Head, Me.) was named Rookie of the Week by the North Atlantic Conference for the week ending March 26, 2006 after taking the award last week also.

In a three game series with Endicott College, Oliver went 4-for-9 at the plate with 3 runs, 1 RBI, 1 double, 2 triples, 2 BB, 1 SB. The freshman pushed in the game winning run with a double in the third inning of St. Joe's 3-0 win over Endicott. In the 9-5 loss in game two, he hit a triple and scored as St. Joe's jumped out to an early lead and had another triple in the second inning and then scored in the 7th after reaching on a HBP. In the final game, an 8-2 win, Oliver walked, stole second and scored.

St. Joe’s Wins Series 2-1 over Endicott
Furbush Throws First Shut-out of Season

Salisbury, MD – The Monks won a three-game series 2-1 over Endicott College of Beverly, Mass., this weekend at the Delmarva Shorebird’s Purdue Stadium. The Shorebird’s are the class “A” affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.

The St. Joe’s squad improves to 7-5 while Endicott drops to 2-7.

Sophomore Charlie Furbush (South Portland, Me.) earned a 3-0 shut-out in game one on Saturday, striking out 11 batters and allowing only 2 hits. Sophomore Andrew Wood (South Portland, Me.) singled and scored the winning run in the third inning and drove in two more runs in the fourth with another single.

Endicott won game two on Saturday, 9-5, as Ian Parkinson (Peabody, MA) recorded the win for the Gulls striking out 11 batters and junior Ben Cutter (Westbrook, Me.) took the loss for St. Joe's.

Freshman Wade Oliver (Owls Head, Me.) helped the Monks jump out to an early lead, reaching on a triple in the first inning. Junior Mark Clapp (Blue Hill, Me.) walked and sophomore Dustin Spiller (Gorham, Me.) drove both runs in with a triple. Spiller scored to make it 3-0 on a double by senior Ben Muniz (Readfield, Me.).

The Gulls scored two runs in the second and added one run in both the third and fourth innings to take a 4-3 lead. Endicott added to the lead, scoring 5 runs on two errors in the seventh. The Monks battled back in the bottom of the seventh as a single by Muniz scored Oliver and Clapp but Parkinson closed out the inning striking out two St. Joe’s batters.

The Monks allowed only two runs on Sunday, taking the final game 8-2. Spiller had 3 hits and 2 runs, sophomore Luke Enman (Milan, N.H.) had a single, a triple, 1 run and 1 RBI, and Wood had 1 hit, 1 run and two RBI.

Next up for St. Joe’s is the home opener on Sat., April 1 at noon, a doubleheader with Maine Presque Isle.

Saint Joseph's College Sweeps NAC Baseball Weekly Honors

Saint Joseph’s College returned from spring break in Florida with a 5-4 record and received both the Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week awards from the North Atlantic Conference.

Sophomore CF Dustin Spiller (Gorham, Me.) was named Player of the Week for the week ending 3/19/06. Spiller started all nine games and had 14 hits in 29 at-bats for a .483 average. The sophomore had seven RBI with seven runs scored, four doubles, 18 total bases and a .621 slugging percentage.

Freshman RF Wade Oliver (Owls Head, Me.) earned Rookie of the Week honors for the week ending 3/19/06. Oliver played and started six games, had eight hits in 19 appearances for a .421 average with five RBI including a home run and five runs scored.

Monks Drop Final Doubleheader to Ripon College 3-2, 9-5

Temple Terrace, FL - Ripon College used a late inning rally to take game one and put up nine runs in the first three innings to complete the sweep of Friday’s doubleheader with Saint Joseph's College by scores of 3-2 and 9-5 at Lindy McDaniel Complex. The two losses drop the Monks to 5-4 overall and improves Ripon to 8-3 overall.

Ripon 1B Mac Shumann had a pair of hits including the game winning run in game one, while top hitter Tyler Haddock had a home run and two runs scored in the second game to lead the Red Hawks.

Saint Joseph's College had a 2-1 advantage going into the bottom of the six inning before Ripon knotted the game at 2-2. Haddock and 1B Bo Johnson hit back to back singles off of sophomore LHP Charlie Furbush. Haddock advanced to third and later scored on a Dustin Spiller throwing error. Furbush struck out the next two Ripon batters to end the sixth inning.

In the bottom of the seventh Ripon’s Brandan Birschbach reached safely on a Mark Clapp error at third base. After a sacrifice bunt to move Birschbach to second, he eventually scored the game-winning run by a Shumann RBI single to right field.

Furbush took the loss in the opener, working the first six innings and two batters before giving up the game winning run. He allowed all three runs as his record dropped to 1-1 on the season. Sophomore RHP Steve Lambert took the loss in the second game as he allowed five hits and five runs (5 earned) in his second start of the season. Lambert (0-2) was knocked out of the game in Rippon’s 4-run second inning.

Sophomore 3B Andrew Dvilinsky and freshman OF Wade Oliver each had two hits in the second game, and Dvilinsky belted two hits and drove in two runs in game one.

The one bright pitching spot in game two was the relief work of post graduate RHP Jack Hughes. Hughes pitched 4 strong innings, allowed one hit, nor runs while striking out six of the 13 batters he faced.

Monks Erupt and Take Doubleheader from Rhode Island College

St. Petersburg, FL - Saint Joseph's College junior Dustin Spiller (Gorham, ME) had a two-out RBI single in the top of the 4th inning in game one and 3 doubles, a walk, and one RBI in game two as the Monks (5-2) swept a doubleheader from Rhode Island College on Thursday afternoon at Turley Athletic Complex, 7-6 and 14-3. Saint Joseph's rallied for 6 runs in the final four innings in game one, while the Monks exploded for 14 runs in game two.

The Monks got on the board early in game two, when Dustin Spiller gave the Monks a 1-0 led when he doubled home Mark Clapp in the top of the first inning. But Rhode Island College's Chris O'Connor tied the game with a RBI single in the bottom of the inning.

Three runs in the second inning, including a two run triple from Keil Martin, made the score 4-1 before the Monks put the game away with the third and fourth innings.

The Monks sent 13 hitters, combined, to the plate in the both innings, which included a three-run homerun from Andrew Dvilinsky, a Martin two-run double, and RBI hits from Ben Muniz and Charlie Furbush.

The Monks added one more run in the top of the fifth and two runs in the top of the sixth inning on a home-run from first year outfielder Wade Oliver and a two run single by freshman catcher Harrison Hines.

Saint Joseph 's starter Ben Cutter (1-0) earned the win in his first start of the year by tossing five strong innings. The left-hander allowed just two earned runs on six hits while striking out five and issuing two walks.

Rhode Island college starter Caleb Barber took the loss, allowing eight runs on 11 hits in only three innings of work.

GAME 1

With the Monks trailing 5-3 in game one, Brian Schools hit an RBI single driving Jake Rodden in the top of the fourth inning to bring Saint Joseph's to 5-4. Wade Oliver moved to third on School' single before Spiller battled back from an 0-2 count to tie the game with a RBI blast through the center of the infield.

The Monks Oliver led off the top of the sixth with a single through the left side and then moved up a base after stealing second. A passed ball moved Oliver to third base, and a Mark Clapp RBI single gave Saint Joseph's College a 7-5 lead.

The Anchormen immediately mounted a rally in the top of the seventh inning when Chris O'Connnors led off the inning with a single and Jim Connell advanced him to third base with a single of his own. Connell scored on a Michael Naylor fielder's choice. But Charlie Furbush who came in relief after O'Connors reached strike out Jeff Costa to escape the trouble and preserve the 7-6 victory.

Saint Joseph 's College Sam Tupper earned his first victory in a Monks uniform giving up six earned runs over 10 hits. Charlie Furbush picked up his first save of the season.

Gettysburg Takes Single Game from Monks, 7-3

Port Richie, FL – Gettysburg College (6-4) sophomore RHP Kenny stone pitched seven strong innings and 3B Brian Pernice and 2B Dave Olson led the Bullets to a 7-3 win over Saint Joseph's (3-2) in college baseball action today at Pasco Herando Community College.

Stone (1-0) pitched a nine-hitter and struck out six Monk batters in the win. He allowed just one hit after the first inning. Dave Olson's one-out, RBI walk in the seventh proved to be the game-winner and Pernice’s two run double in the eighth inning proved to be the final scoring of the day for Gettysburg.

The Monks (3-2) got on the board in the top of the sixth as sophomore CF Dustin Spiller singled to center and moved to third on an Andrew Dvilinsky single. He then scored on a Dave Olson throwing error.

Saint Joseph's Luke Enman and Dustin Spiller opened the hitting in the eighth inning with a back-to-back singles to right and center respectively. Dvilinsky scored Enman from third with a one-out single. Charlie Furbush scored Spiller from third with a single of his own to cut the Gettysburg’s lead to 7-3, and that’s the closest the Monks would get.

Monks starting pitcher Steve Stout was fitted with the loss giving up three runs and striking out four in six innings.

The Monks will be in action Thursday in Tampa, Florida, versus Rhode Island College.

Monks Sweep Defiance College in Doubleheader, 15-5, 5-3

Tampa, FL - Junior second baseman Mark Clapp continued his hot and timely hitting as the Saint Joseph's College Monks overcame an early 3-1 deficit to defeat Defiance College, 5-3, in the second game of the doubleheader on Monday afternoon at Florida College.

Saint Joseph's College took both games in the series, improving to 3-1 overall as Defiance College falls to 1-3 overall.

Clapp picked up one more hit and three more runs batted in during game two, giving him 4 hits and five RBI during the two-game set. Junior leftfielder Keil Martin added two more hits and one more RBI and run scored.

Junior Sam Tupper earned the victory for Saint Joseph's College, his first in a Monks uniform. Tupper entered the game with the Monks trailing, 3-1, and pitched 2.1 innings, allowed no runs and struck out two batters. Post Graduate Jack Hughes earned his first save of the season, getting all three outs in the ninth inning with a man on first.

Saint Joseph's College trailed 3-1 heading into the sixth before scoring four runs to take a 5-3 lead. The Monks offense capitalized on Defiance’s five errors in the bottom of the sixth as Charlie Furbush started the sixth inning rally off with a single. Chris Doughty and Jake Rodden each reached on an error by Defiance pitcher Jake Reckner. Mark Clapp’s timely hit singled home Doughty and Schools to tie the game at three. Rodden scored on a pass ball to put the Monks ahead and Dustin Spiller hit a deep sacrifice fly to score Clapp for insurance.

In game 1, Clapp, Spiller, and Doughty each had three hits to lead the Monks. Martin and Brian Schools contributed with two hits apiece as Furbush, Andrew Dvilinsky, David Lutz, Luke Enman added one hit each to round out the 18 Saint Joseph's College hits.

Senior righthander Ben Cutter got the win as he struck out four batters over four innings. Defiance’s Derek Hanson got the loss as he surrendered seven runs on eight hits.

Saint Joseph's College returns to action on Tuesday versus Gettysburg College, then faces in-region foe Rhode Island College on Wednesday.

3/6/06

Saint Joseph's College Chosen to Defend NAC Baseball Title

Saint Joseph's College has been chosen as the baseball preseason favorite of the North Atlantic Conference in a vote conducted by the league's coaches. The Monks received six first place votes and a total of 48 points in the NAC baseball preseason poll.

The defending NAC champions return six starters, including 2005 first-team all-conference selections Charlie Furbush and Mark Clapp. Furbush, the NAC co-player of the year, who posted a 7-1 mark last season on the mound with a 1.75 ERA while hitting .392 with 32 RBI, lead Saint Joseph's to an 11-1 conference mark and the NAC title.

2006 North Atlantic Conference Baseball Pre-Season Poll