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| Brian Schools
'08 |
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| Ben Grant-Roy
'10 |
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| Dustin
Spiller '08 |
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BOXSCORE
STANDISH, ME – Huskies outfielder JR Anthony D’Alphonso
(Westbrook, ME) hit a three-run home run in the third inning that
proved to be the difference in a 6-4 St. Joe’s setback to in-state
rival Southern Maine (26-10) on Wednesday evening. SR Brian
Schools (Gorham, ME) and SO Ben
Grant-Roy (Biddeford, ME) both notched three hits
in the loss for Saint Joseph’s (25-14). With his sac bunt in
the first inning, Schools registered his 41st career sacrifice hit,
which breaks the NCAA Division III record. USM starting pitcher SR
Adam Ross (Spruce Head, ME) struck out 9 and allowed 2 earned runs
in 7 innings to improve to 4-3 on the season and Monks starter SO
Andrew Keirstead (Westbrook, ME)
allowed 11 hits and 6 earned run in 8.1 innings to fall to 5-2.
JR Chris Burleson (Portland, ME) led off the game for the Huskies
with a double to the right-center gap and later scored on a SO Colin
Henry (Penobscot, ME) single to give USM a one-run advantage in first
inning.
Three Southern Maine errors in the bottom of the first helped the
Monks knot the game at one apiece as JR Wade Oliver
(Owls Head, ME) scored on a double play ball hit by SR Luke
Enman (Milan, NH).
Keirstead walked the first two batters he faced in
the top of the third and paid dearly when former high school teammate
D’Alphonso connected for a three-run big fly to deep right field
that gave the Huskies a 4-1 lead.
The Monks seemed to have a rally going with the bases loaded and nobody
out in the bottom of the third, but after Luke Enman
hit a ball to the left field warning track, USM starter Adam Ross
recorded the final two outs himself by whiffing a pair of SJC hitters.
The Huskies tacked on a run in the fifth when SR Eddie Skeffington
(Everett, MA) hit a sac fly to send home JR Andrew Stacy (Denmark,
ME).
Ross found himself in trouble again in the bottom of the fifth as
he was faced with the familiar situation of being surrounded by Monks
with one out. It was déjà vu for the Royal Blue, however,
as the crafty righthander struck out the next two SJC hitters to retire
the side.
St. Joe’s managed to plate a run in the sixth when Brian
Schools singled to score FY Todd
Keneborus (Hollis Center, ME), who earlier reached
with a single to right field. Enman hit a deep fly
to dead center with two Monks on base, but JR Ryan Pike (Saco, ME)
tracked the ball down for the third out of the inning to preserve
the 5-2 USM lead.
The Huskies saw their lead fall to 5-3 when pinch hitter SO Ricky
Sarmento (Lowell, MA) grounded out to second base
to score Grant-Roy, who led off the inning with a
base hit.
Southern Maine tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth
when D’Alphonso scored on a SO Josh Mackey (Danvers, MA) single
to give his team a 6-3 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Enman walked, Grant-Roy
singled and SR Dustin Spiller (Gorham,
ME) singled to load the bases with nobody out. SO Nick
Johnson (Yuma, AZ) hit a ball to the hole on the
left side of the infield, but USM shortstop Chris Burleson made a
diving stop and threw out Spiller at second base.
Meanwhile, Enman scored to reduce the USM lead to
6-4. The Huskies managed to preserve the lead and win the game as
relievers Andrew Stacy and Chris Burleson closed out the game with
a strikeout apiece.
For the Monks, Dustin Spiller was
2-4 and SO Chris Nanof (Clinton,
MA) threw 2/3 inning of scoreless relief.
Burleson was 3-4 with 2 runs and D’Alphonso went 2-3 with 2
runs and 3 RBI’s for the Huskies.
The Monks will play host to another Little East opponent on Thursday
when Keene State College comes to Larry Mahaney Diamond to play a
single game that starts at 5:00 PM.
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