Monks Slug Past Bear Cats, 12-5

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Saint Joseph's College (5-0) toppled Saint Vincent College (4-1), 12-5, in RussMatt Central Florida Invitational baseball action on Thursday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Saint Joseph's scored at least one run in every inning except the third and registered a season-high 17 hits in the triumph.

The Monks jumped out of the gates with three runs off four hits in the top of the first, when seniors Joey Murphy (Derry, N.H.) and Jared Gagne (Dover, N.H.) reached with singles, with the former scoring on a Greg Emanuelson (Hudson, N.H.) base hit and the latter stealing home as part of a first and third play. Emanuelson later scored on a Dylan Fournier (South Windsor, Conn.) two-out base hit.

Murphy doubled and scored on an error in the second and singled and scampered home on another Saint Vincent miscue in the fourth to grab a 5-3 advantage. In the fifth, Emanuelson led off with a single, stole second, and scored on a Noah McDaniel (Eliot, Maine) base hit and freshman third baseman Ronan Chisholm (Chatham, Mass.) walked and raced home on an Emanuel double in the sixth to make it a 7-3 game.

Fournier led off with a single and later scored on a two-out base hit by Murphy in the seventh and drove in Gagne, who singled, with another two-out hit in the eighth to extend the Monks' lead to 9-5.
St. Joe's proceeded to tack on three runs off just one hit in the top of the ninth to account for the 12-5 final. Sophomore Kevin Aylward (East Bridgewater, Mass.) scored on a groundout and Emanuel delivered a two-run triple with two out to close out the game scoring.

NOTEWORTHY:
The teams combined to make nine errors on the afternoon, as the Golden Bears committed five and the Monks four…St. Joe's stranded 12 runners on base, Saint Vincent left 10 on the pond.

ON THE MOUND:
Freshman Jonathan Flynn (Holden, Mass.) earned the victory after tossing three scoreless innings with three strikeouts in relief while relievers Devan Harrison (Bourne, Mass.), Jonathon Rolfe (Plainville, Mass.), Troy Bogdahn (Hollis, Maine), and Matt Soldano (Salem, N.H.) combined to work four innings while allowing two unearned runs off three hits. Junior Luke Klenda (Yarmouth, Maine) earned the start but did not factor into the decision after allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits with one strikeout in two innings.

For Saint Vincent, sophomore starter Brenden Lavely (Johnstown, Pa.) was hit with the loss after yielding seven runs (five earned) off 12 hits and two walks over six innings.

OFF THE BAT:

• Emanuelson enjoyed a career day, as the senior designated hitter was 4-6 with two runs, a double, a triple, two steals, and four RBI
• Murphy also had a four-hit day with three runs, a double, and a stolen base
• Gagne went 3-6 with three runs and a pair of steals
• Fournier was 3-5 with a run, a stolen base, and two RBI
• For Saint Vincent, Tanner Yard (Saltsburg, Pa.) and senior Matt Morrone (Munhall, Pa.) recorded a pair of hits apiece