The Suffolk University Baseball team’s bid for consecutive NCAA Tournament bid fell shorts as the St. Joseph’s College Monks walked off with a 5-4 victory in the bottom of the ninth inning for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship.
After erasing a 4-0 deficit, junior Craig Woodbrey (Gorham, Me.) singled with two outs in the ninth inning to give the Monks their second GNAC Championship in three seasons since joining the lead. The Rams looked to be out of trouble in the inning but could not close the door and force extra innings and hopes of a potential winner take all game two. Junior Chris Campbell (Rochester, N.H.) got the inning started for the Monks singling up the middle. After a sacrifice bunt, Suffolk intentionally walked GNAC Player of the Year, Todd Keneborus (Hollis Center, Me.) in hopes of a double player. Senior Ben Grant-Roy (Biddeford, Me.) then lined out to shortstop for the second out of the inning but the Rams hopes of a double play to escape the inning fell short as the feed in the middle did not make it to the base in time bringing Woodbrey to the plate for the dramatic finish.
Junior Andrew Babb (Ashland, Mass.) went the distance on the mound for Suffolk working in and out of trouble all day keeping the potent Monks offense at bay. Babb allowed only eight hits, but struggled with control as he issued eight walks on the day.
The Rams took control of the game early as they hopped on St. Joseph’s for four runs through the first three innings on six hits.
Suffolk got two in the first inning as Babb helped out his own cause singling down the right field line knocking in a pair of runs. Senior Rory Gentile (Gloucester, Mass.) led the game off doubling over the first base bag. With one out in the first, the Monks decided to intentionally walk senior Bobby Barrett (Milton, Mass.). Senior Marc Doyle (Whitman, Mass.) then drew a walk to load the bases for Babb who delivered the big hit bringing in the game’s first runs.
The Rams added a pair of runs in the third as they got RBI-singles by juniors Mark Annese (Winchester, Mass.)and Mark Addesa (Revere, Mass.) to jump out to a 4-0 lead.
That would be it for the Suffolk offense as Monks’ reliever Mason Roberge (Franklin, N.H.) shut the door pitching 6 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball only allowing five hits.
The Monks got the big inning they needed to get back in the game scoring four times to even the game. Keneborus got the inning going with a walk and was followed by a base hit by junior Ian Lee (Hamden, Me.). Senior Pat Moran (Winterport, Me.) then drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. Freshman Mike Pratt (Dartmouth, Mass.) got the Monks on the board as he laced a single on a 2-2 count down the left field line to score a pair. Campbell then evened the game at four as he hit a double in the left field gap to complete the Monks comeback.
Both teams had plenty of opportunities to score all day as each team left 10 men on base in the contest. Suffolk led the bases loaded in the second, while the Monks left the bases full in the fifth.
Freshmen Chris Stanley (Orange County, Calif.) and Jhonneris Mendez (Roslindale, Mass.) each had two hits for Suffolk, including Babb as the Rams had 11 hits as a team.
For the efforts, Babb, Barrett and freshman Matt Sliney (Brockton, Mass.) were each selected to the GNAC All-Tournament team.