Baseball Earns a Shutout Win Over Rival Monmouth for Season’s First Victory

JERSEY CITY, NJ – Led by stout defense and exceptional pitching, the Saint Peter's baseball squad earned a 3-0 shutout victory over hOURglass Rival Monmouth on Monday afternoon for the team's first win of the season. The win improved the Peacocks MAAC record to 1-5 on the season.
 
Game Notes

• The game was a pitcher's duel from the start, as both starting pitchers kept the opposition scoreless through the first five innings.
• In the home half of the sixth inning, Edwin Feliciano made it to first by way of base on balls before stealing second and advancing to third on an error by the catcher.
• Two batters later, Peter Ferony hit a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Feliciano to score the game's first run and put the Peacocks ahead 1-0.  
• Peacock starting pitcher, John Gavura (1-1) continued to deal, as he kept Monmouth scoreless through seven innings, with five strikeouts.
• In the top of the eighth, with the score still at 1-0, Steve Epstein took the mound in a save situation.
• Epstein and the Peacock defense would retire the side, as all three Hawks grounded out in the inning.
• In the bottom half of the inning, Jared Quintero added two insurance runs when he hit a two-run blast to right field, extending the Peacocks' lead to 3-0.
• Needing three outs to complete the season's first win, the Peacocks successfully completed their season-best, fifth double play, for the first two outs.
• Epstein then struck out Monmouth's Matt Graber to earn the save, the shutout, and the team's first win of the year.

Inside the Numbers

• The homer for Quintero was his first of the season as he went 2-of-4 at the plate with two RBIs and a run scored.
• Ferony also had two hits, going 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run.
• Jared Paladino and Anthony Ramos also each picked up one hit in the winning effort.
• The pitching duo of Gavura and Epstein combined to strikeout six, only allow seven hits, and give up zero runs.
• The Peacocks' defense completed five double plays, including four from innings 1 through 5.
• The five double plays were the most this season for the team, with the next highest total being two.
• Monmouth left a total of seven runners on base in the game.
• The home win for Saint Peter's was the first for the program since defeating Monmouth 8-7 on April 10, 2016.
• The 3-0 shutout was the program's first shutout win since March 12, 2016 when the Peacocks knocked off Fordham 2-0.

Coach's Quotes – Danny Ramirez

• "I'm really proud of the way our guys played today vs Monmouth."
• "Everyone stepped up, but a few guys went above and beyond today. John Gavura throwing seven innings of shutout ball for the win and Stephen Epstein with two strong innings in relief for the save. Offensively, Peter Ferony continues to lead the way going 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI, Jared Quintero also came up big for us with a two-run home run in the 8th to give us some insurance runs."
• "Since conference play started, we have showed that we can compete, with tough games at Quinnipiac where two games could have gone to either team and today throwing a shutout and winning 3-0 against a very good Monmouth team."
• "We need to keep playing hard and continue to make improvements but I am very proud of our guys and happy to see them get on the board."

On Deck

• The Peacocks have a short turnaround, traveling to St. John's tomorrow for a 3 p.m. contest.