The Suffolk University Baseball team split a rain shortened doubleheader with the Fairleigh Dickinson University Devils on Sunday afternoon at Lake Bonny Park in Lakeland, Florida as part of the RussMatt Baseball College Invitational.
Suffolk took game one, 3-1 on a complete game seven-inning performance by junior Mitch Monke (Springfield, Ohio). Monke only allowed one run, unearned on four hits striking out five hitters.
Sophomore Devan Jones (Roslindale, Mass.) had the big blow of the game as he crushed his first home run of the season in the fourth inning. Jones took a hanging breaking ball and drove it deep into the trees over the left field fence scoring sophomore Jake Cintolo (Wrentham, Mass.) for a 2-0 lead.
The Devils scored their lone run of the game on a botched bunt play as Monke fielded the ball and make an overthrow to first base that sailed down the right field line to score freshman Anthony Billera (Paramus, N.J.).
Suffolk got some insurance in the bottom of the sixth inning as junior Jhonneris Mendez (Boston, Mass.) hit a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Cintolo who got the inning started with a triple off of the center field wall.
Monke finished the game as the Rams rolled a 4-6-3 double play.
Game two did not favor the Rams as much as the game was halted after four and a half innings of play due to heavy rains that plagued most of the nightcap, with Suffolk falling 9-6.
The Devils staked themselves to an early 3-0 lead in their first at bat with junior Nick Core (Mullica Hill, N.J.) delivering the big blow with a two-run homer to left. Senior John Pieper (Rockaway, N.J.) opened the scoring as his single to center field plated senior Steve Seminiero (East Hanover, N.J.) with the game's first run.
The Rams answered with six of their own in the top of the second as they sent 10 batters to the plate that featured six consecutive base hits for Suffolk. Mendez got the inning started as he reached base on a third strike in the third that trickled to the backstop. Sophomore Mike Muse (Milton, Mass.)got the offensive surge started with a single to right and then junior Chris Stanley (Orange County, Calif.) drove in their first run with an RBI single. The Rams took advantage of some shotty Devils defense as sophomore James McConville (Medford, Mass.) reached on an infield single, but the throw to first sailed down the right field line and a heads up Muse came around to score on the play. Freshman J.C. Collette (Amesbury, Mass.) evened the game with an RBI single to center before freshman Frank Tierney (Hyde Park, Mass.) drove in a pair with the Rams sixth hit of the inning. Jones capped the inning off with his third run batted in on the day with a sacrifice fly to right.
Suffolk faced a long bottom of the third as the Devils scored six of their own taking advantage of free passes handed to them by the Rams pitching staff. Three walks in the inning would chase sophomore Steve Chamberland (Bristol, Conn.) who would give way to the bullpen. Sophomore Jonathan Richard (North Reading, Mass.) would face four hitters and not record an out while relinquishing the Suffolk lead. Junior Tommy Larney (Lacey, N.J.) welcomed him with a two-out two run single back up the middle that was followed with a wild pitch that scored freshman Frankie Tassielli (Florham Park, N.J.) to even the game at 6-6. Senior Matt Joiner (Hamilton, N.J.) then put the Devils up by a pair knocking in two with a base hit, before Core collected his third RBI of the second game with another Devils' single.
Senior Fred Lucchetti (Brick, N.J.) picked up the win on the mound for the Devils as he scatted nine hits over five innings while walking none and fanning five.
After Suffolk's fifth at-bat of the game they were doomed by rains for the second straight day. Despite playing through a steady drizzle from the second inning on, the field was finally deemed unplayable heading into the bottom of the fifth inning as the Rams pick up their first loss in four contests this season.
Suffolk will be back on the diamond tomorrow afternoon at 3:30pm as they take on Transylvania University at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Florida.
Suffolk 3, FDU Florham 1 (Mar 11, 2012 at Lakeland, FL) (Game 1)
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FDU Florham......... 000 010 0 - 1 4 0 (0-4)
Suffolk............. 000 201 X - 3 5 1 (2-0-1)
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Pitchers: FDU Florham - Bobby Smith and Nick Marcucci. Suffolk - Mitch Monke and Danny Gunn.
Win-Mitch Monke(1-0) Loss-Bobby Smith(0-2) T-1:45 A-100
HR SUF - Devan Jones.
Weather: Overcast
FDU Florham 9, Suffolk 6 (Mar 11, 2012 at Lakeland, Fla.) (Game 2)
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Suffolk............. 060 00 - 6 9 1 (2-1-1)
FDU Florham......... 306 00 - 9 7 1 (1-4)
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Pitchers: Suffolk - Steve Chamberland; Jonathan Richard(3); Brian Svensson(3) and J.C. Collette
. FDU Florham - FJ Lucchetti and Grego Caso.
Win-FJ Lucchetti(1-0) Loss-Jonathan Richard(0-1) T-1:30 A-50
HR FDUBB12 - Nick Core.
Weather: Rain
Richard faced 4 batters in the 3rd.