Baseball Swept by the Monks

LOWELL, Mass. — The Rivier baseball team dropped two games to Saint Joseph's (Me.) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The contest was played at LeLacheur Park on the campus of UMass Lowell which served as home turf for the Raiders for the day.  

The Raiders fell to 7-19 overall (3-6 GNAC), while the Monks improved to 7-20 overall (3-7 GNAC).

Rivier will return to Holman Stadium on Sunday, April 21 for another GNAC match-up against JWU-Providence with first pitch set for 1:00 p.m.

Saint Joseph's 15, Rivier 3

Saint Joseph's put together an all-around solid performance during the first game of the day. Scoring in seven of the nine innings played, generating nine RBI while keeping Rivier scoreless through six.  

In the bottom of the seventh, Luis Colon blasted his fourth home run of the season over the right field fence to get the Raiders on the board. 

The Monks responded in the top of the eighth with two runs of their own, extending their lead to 11-1.

In the bottom of the eighth, with the Raiders in jeopardy of the 10-run mercy rule, produced a rally to keep them in the game. Colon's two-RBI single found a gap in the right side that pushed in Kyle Hsu and Frank Gulezian to complete Rivier's scoring efforts. This brought the score to 11-3 in favor of the guests.

To finish up the contest in the top of the ninth, the Monks added on a three RBI double down the left field line, for a final score of 15-3. 

Nate Bonacorsi made the start on the mound for the Raiders throwing for six innings, striking out six batters. Rivier would go to their bullpen on three occasions giving the ball to Erik Whitehead, Anthony Carey, and Sam Kalivas, with the loss given to Bonacorsi.  

Saint Joseph's 6, Rivier 3 

After a scoreless first inning, the Monks produced one run off a single down the right field line to earn a 1-0 lead.  

Dean Adams, on the bump for the Raiders, struck out two Monks in a row to end the top of the third, Rivier was able to use this momentum heading into the bottom of the inning. After a Colon RBI single pushing in Dylan Aliberti to tie the game, Gulezian followed up with another RBI single up the middle to bring Colton Colleran across the plate taking the lead.  

The Monks scored generated by a single through the left side, tying the game at 2-2, after four complete innings. 

It wasn't until the top of the seventh when Saint Joseph's Luke Stephens broke open the game hitting a single to center field that drove in two runs to gain a 4-2 lead. The Monks were able to stretch their lead to 6-2 going into the bottom of the seventh.   

For Rivier, Hsu reached first on an error and was the one to cross home plate after Colleran's triple to bring the Raiders within three.  

Despite the Raiders effort in the final inning, the team was unable to string together hits, with the final score 6-3 and the Monks gaining their second win of the night. 

Adams threw for the first five innings for the Raiders, striking out six. Travis McKeen had a short showing and took the loss for Rivier.