A strong pitching performance for
Brenden O'Neil in the first game and two home runs from
Max Cloutier highlight the St. Lawrence University baseball team's sweep of the Worcester State Lancers on Sunday in Davenport, Fla.
With the win, the Saints jump back to .500 with a 3-3 record while the Lancers drop to 0-3.
Cloutier had five hits throughout the two games, including two home runs with one being a grand slam.
John Gannon was 2-for-4 in the second game with five RBI and a three-run home run.
Brett Federico went 4-for-5 from the plate on the day and scored five runs.
O'Neil was the star of the show on the mound in the first game, as he finished the seven-inning complete game giving up just two earned runs and fanning nine batters.
"We had a good response to a tough day yesterday," said head coach
Kenny Collins "On these trips, it is so crucial to be able to quickly forget the previous day and come out ready to go. We had a strong pitching performance in game one, and were able to hang on in game two in a shootout. I'm confident we will be ready to continue the momentum tomorrow."
Game 1 St. Lawrence 9, Worcester 3
O'Neil got the start for the Saints and he pitched the entire game with a lead.
In the top of the first inning before the hurler could even get on the rubber, the Saints took a lead they wouldn't let go of. Three walks followed by a passed ball allowed
Jackson Brinker and the Saints to get on the scoreboard without a hit.
O'Neil did not disappoint the moment he took the mound. Working around a lead-off error, the Upton, Mass. native struck out a batter in the first and then followed up by striking out the side in the second.
In the third inning, the Saints put up a six spot to give O'Neil a comfortable lead to work with. Bases-loaded walks by
Willie Landman and
Sean Desjardins gave the Saints a 3-0 advantage, setting up the big at-bat from Cloutier. The sophomore from Cumberland, Maine set the ball over the fence for a grand slam, giving the Saints and O'Neil a commanding 7-0 lead.
The Scarlet and Brown weren't able to give O'Neil any more run support in the following couple of innings, but they didn't need to. O'Neil gave up an unearned run in the fourth but came back strong in the fifth.
The Saints scored two more runs in the top of the sixth with Brinker getting an RBI single and scoring a run on a balk to build up the lead to 9-1.
O'Neil had some slight difficulties in the bottom of the sixth, giving up two singles followed by a triple. These hits gave Worcester St their first earned runs of the morning. Despite this, O'Neil left the runner on third base by striking out the next two batters. O'Neil capped off his day with a complete game in the bottom of the seventh. Despite giving up a leadoff walk, he got the next three outs in succession, concluding the game with his ninth strikeout.
Game 2 St. Lawrence 12, Worcester 9
In the second meeting between the two teams, the Saints handed the ball to junior Christian Mingoine.
Mingoine started the game off strong with a zero-run top of the first and got some run support in the bottom part of the frame.
Federico walked, stole second, and crossed the plate on a Landman single to right field as once again, the Saints struck first holding a 1-0 lead. The lead wouldn't last long however, as the Lancers took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second with a single and back-to-back doubles.
More issues arose in the third inning for Mingoine as Worcester St scored another pair of runs off a two-run home run and the Saints were all of a sudden trailing by three.
The Saints poured it on the next two innings starting with a five-run bottom of the third. Following a hit by pitch to Brinker, Federico singled, and
Timothy Connor doubled to drive in the first two runs of the game. Now with two runners on, Gannon delivered a 3-run home run, giving the Scarlet and Brown a 5-4 lead. On the very next plate appearance, Cloutier sent another ball over the fence for his second home run of the day.
The Saints went to their bullpen after three, handing the ball over to
Sam Fosberg. The Lancers managed a run in Fosberg's first inning off a sacrifice fly to cut the St. Lawrence lead in half to 6-5. The lefty hurler received some run support in the bottom of the fourth and the Saints offense shined once again.
Stephen Colangelo started the fun with a triple, then Brinker knocked him in with a single. Federico and Connor followed with singles of their own, leaving the bases loaded for
John Donnellan. The Saints catcher contributed an RBI single, driving home two runs to give the home team a 9-5 lead.
In the fifth, Worcester St. threatened and scored another run once again, this time off a double followed by a single.
Now holding a 9-6 lead, the Saints struck once again in the sixth. A walk, single, and a hit-by-pitch led to a bases-loaded single by Gannon, who drove in both Federico and Connor with the base hit. Cloutier followed up with an RBI single in the next at-bat, as the Saints were now doubling up the Lancers 12-6.
The Saints ran into a scare, as they surrendered three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Framingham St grad transfer Teagan Andre was able to get two outs to close the game and sweep the Lancers.
Next up:
The Saints will be in action tomorrow for a twin bill against the Knox College Prairie Fire with the first pitch scheduled for 2:30.
