BEVERLY, Mass. – A seventh inning double to left by sophomore outfielder Scott Betts (Peabody, Mass.) helped deliver a 2-1 win for Saint Joseph's (Maine) over Endicott at North Field Tuesday afternoon in non-conference action. The Gulls got six solid innings from junior righty JJ Branch (Milford, Mass.) before back-to-back doubles by Monks sophomore designated hitter Dan Donovan (Lynn, Mass.) and Betts to start the top of the seventh generated the go-ahead run.
Endicott (16-10) returns to action on Wednesday, April 15th when they travel to #21/26 Southern Maine for a single nine-inning contest starting at 3:30 p.m. Saint Joseph's (19-10), currently undefeated in April and riding a 13-game win streak, will look to continue their success on Thursday at Johnson & Wales (R.I.) in GNAC action.
Endicott jumped on Monks left-handed starter Matt Wojciak (Merrimack, N.H.) in the bottom of the first with a two-out rally starting with a single to left by senior captain Harry Oringer (Dartmouth, Mass.). With Oringer on first, sophomore third baseman Mike Kochiss (Fairfield, Conn.) hit a single to right center that was mishandled by the right fielder that allowed the runner to advance around third and home for the Blue and Green's lone run of the game.
Branch got through his first three innings of work unscathed including the top of the third that saw the junior record his first pickoff of the season.
One inning later, however, SJM tied the game with a two-out RBI single to center off the bat of Monks sophomore first baseman Brett Barbati (Melrose, Mass.) that plated senior Lincoln Sanborn (Standish, Maine) from second base. Sanborn had reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on an errant throw to first.
As the Monks tied the game, Wojciak settled into a groove on the mound and pitched six strong innings, allowing one unearned run on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Wojciak would pitch long enough to earn his second win of the season.
With a 2-1 lead after the Betts RBI double, SJM leaned on their bullpen to set down the Gulls lineup as freshman Marc Poirier (Lunenburg, Mass.) got four outs including three in the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and third and no outs. In the bottom of the ninth, SJM freshman closer Joshua Partridge (Deerfield, N.H.) only allowed a two-out single by Gulls junior Cody Hall (Rutland, Mass.) in recording his second save of the year.
Donovan and Betts would both finish 2-for-4 at the plate for the Monks while Oringer and Kochiss both notched two hits for Endicott.
A trio of relievers for Endicott pitched three scoreless innings in the latter stages of the game. Juniors Davarn Nova (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) and Nick Quattro (Canton, Conn.) each pitched at least an inning while sophomore Eric Nagle (Manchester, Conn.) was asked to get two outs in the top of the eighth.
