FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Courtesy of SJC Athletics Communications

GAME 2

BOSTON, Mass. – Wheaton College (29-11) defeated Saint Joseph's College (33-12), 7-3, in an elimination game of the 2019 UMass.-Boston NCAA Regional Tournament at Monan Park on Saturday evening. The loss brings an end to the Monks' 2019 campaign.

Wheaton advances to the final day of the four-team tourney and will face UMass.-Boston tomorrow at 11:00 AM. As the pod's lone undefeated team, the Beacons need to win one of two games – if the second contest is necessary – to advance to the Super Regional. The UMass.-Boston Regional victor will face the winner of the University of Southern Maine pod in Super Regional play late next week.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the third, the Monks plated three runs off two hits and a Wheaton error to grab a 3-2 edge. Sophomore left fielder Kevin Aylward (East Bridgewater, Mass.) led off with a walk and later scored on a single off the bat of senior shortstop Joey Murphy (Derry, N.H.), who sprinted home when junior second baseman Drew Healey (Rochester, N.H.) lined a two-run single to left. Senior right fielder Jared Gagne (Dover, N.H.), who reached on a fielder's choice, also scored on the play.

The one-run advantage remained until the top of the fifth, when the Lyons grabbed the lead for good with two runs off four hits, as Conor Gammond (Spring Lake, N.J.) and senior Jared Sharkey (West Bridgewater, Mass.) produced run-scoring knocks.

The Monks were still within striking distance heading into the final frame, but Wheaton put the game away with three runs off four hits and a pair of SJC miscues in the top of the ninth.

ON THE MOUND:

SJC sophomore starter Zach Begin (Georgetown, Mass.) pitched well but falls to 6-1 on the year after yielding four runs (three earned) off nine hits with four strikeouts over six innings. Freshman George Welch (Derry, N.H.) and sophomore Jonathan Marchia (Chicopee, Mass.) combined to allow three runs (one earned) off six hits in the final three frames.

Wheaton sophomore starter Paul Prue (Dennis, Mass.) improves to 5-2 after giving up three runs (two earned) off three hits and two walks with a pair of K's over eight strong innings. Freshman reliever Zach Clesas (Johnston, R.I.) allowed one hit in an otherwise clean ninth inning to close out the contest.

OFF THE BAT:

• Healey was 1-for-3 with two RBI
• Murphy went 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI
• For Wheaton, sophomore Brody Ashley (Strafford, N.H.) was 3-for-4 with three runs, Bryant Salkind (Rochester, Mass.) went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI, and Sharkey added two hits and a pair of RBI in five at-bats

TIP THE CAP:

Tonight's setback brings an end to collegiate baseball for the Monks' eight seniors: Murphy, Gagne, Anthony DiPrizio (Rochester, N.H.), Greg Emanuelson (Hudson, N.H.), Grayson Jennings (Mililani, Hawaii), Noah McDaniel (Eliot, Maine), Ray Mosca (Augusta, Maine), and Tim Verrill (Dover, N.H.). This senior class has been at the forefront for a program that posted a 119-48 (.713) overall record, including a 48-10 (.828) mark in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play, over the past four seasons.

GAME 1

BOSTON, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College (33-11) toppled Baruch College (17-20), 11-0, in an elimination game of the 2019 UMass.-Boston NCAA Regional Tournament at Monan Park on Saturday.

PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:

The lopsided victory keeps the Monks' season alive as the Royal Blue will take on the loser of this afternoon's winners' bracket contest, which features UMass.-Boston and Wheaton College, at 6:00 PM tonight.

The loss signals the end of the 2019 season for Baruch. The Bearcats defeated Husson University in the NAC/CUNYAC crossover championship last weekend to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Monks grabbed the lead right away as senior shortstop Joey Murphy (Derry, N.H.) led off the bottom of the first with a triple to right-center and scored on a Jared Gagne (Dover, N.H.) groundout to short.

St. Joe's proceeded to plate four runs without registering a hit in the second inning. Gagne posted a sac fly, senior catcher Greg Emanuelson (Hudson, N.H.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and a pair of runs scored when senior first baseman Noah McDaniel (Eliot, Maine) reached on a botched double play attempt, making it a 5-0 game through two frames.

In the third Murphy registered an RBI single through the left side and later scored when Gagne reached on a fielding error by the Baruch left fielder.

A pair of scoreless innings followed but the Monks added their eighth run in the sixth, when junior Drew Healey (Rochester, N.H.) worked a leadoff walk and later sprinted home on an Anthony DiPrizio (Rochester, N.H.) sac fly.

The Monks collectively hit for three legs of the cycle en route to scoring three runs in the seventh, when Murphy hit his second triple of the game and trotted home on a double by Gagne, who sauntered across the plate when Emanuelson belted his seventh home run of the season beyond the left field wall.

ON THE MOUND:

SJC freshman starter Matt Bergeron (Salem, N.H.) improved to 7-3 on the season after tossing seven shutout innings while allowing five hits and fanning six Baruch batters. Junior relievers Zach Ham (Saco, Maine) and Troy Bogdahn (Hollis, Maine) combined to work two scoreless frames, with the latter striking out a pair in the top of the ninth.

Baruch starter Ryan Warner falls to 2-1 this spring after giving up five runs (three earned) off two hits, two hit batsmen, and four walks in 1.2 innings.

OFF THE BAT:

• Murphy went 3-for-4 with four runs, two triples, a stolen base, and an RBI
• Emanuelson was 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBI and also walked twice
• Gagne went 1-for-4 with a run, a double, and three RBI
• For Baruch, shortstop Nicholas Valeriano and catcher Gerardo Roque posted two hits apiece

OF NOTE:

With three RBI today, Emanuelson becomes the first SJC hitter to surpass the 50 RBI mark since the 2010 campaign when Todd Keneborus '11 and Ben Grant-Roy '10 knocked in 65 and 51 runs, respectively…Emanuelson's 51 RBI total is tied for the fifth-most in a season in team history…The Monks registered just six hits in today's one-sided triumph but worked eight walks and were hit by a pitch five times…The Monks' 11-run output is the most the team has ever scored in an NCAA Tournament tilt, topping the former high of 10 runs scored in an 11-10 setback at the hands of Western New England on May 18th, 2006.