JERSEY CITY, NJ – The Saint Peter's University baseball team opened its four-game weekend set against hOURglass Rival Monmouth in impressive fashion, claiming an extra inning walk-off shutout win during game one of Saturday's doubleheader. The Peacocks overall and MAAC records sit at 3-17 and Monmouth's records are now 17-9 on the year at the conclusion of the afternoon.
Game 1
Score: Saint Peter's 1, Monmouth 0
Records: Saint Peter's (3-16, 3-16 MAAC) | Monmouth (16-9, 16-9 MAAC)
Location: Joseph J. Jaroschak Field | Jersey City, NJ
How It Happened
- The day's opening contest was a pitcher's duel from the start of regulation to the end of regulation.
- Saint Peter's gave the starting nod to senior right-handed pitcher Jordan Warecke (2-3) while Monmouth threw its senior righty, Dan Klepchick on the mound.
- Warecke and the Peacock defense got right to work, retiring the game's first seven batters and only allowing two total baserunners over the first four innings.
- With SPU's defense doing its part, the offense managed to record a hit in three of the first four innings, but failed to bring in the go-ahead run in each situation.
- In the top of the fifth, Warecke got out of a jam with runners on second and third, keeping Monmouth off the board and the matchup knotted at 0-0.
- Warecke would escape yet another jam in the top of the sixth, this time leaving Monmouth stranded with bases loaded.
- The seventh inning was much of the same for SPU, as Warecke struck out one third of the order and the Peacocks defense allowing just one baserunner in the frame, setting up a potential walk-off scenario in the bottom of the seventh.
- Despite a leadoff single by Nick Font, Monmouth retired the next three Peacock batters in order to send the game to extra innings.
- The home squad picked right back up where they left off in the field, recording a 1-2-3 top of the eighth.
- To start the bottom of the frame, Monmouth made the costly decision of pulling its starting pitcher and handing the ball over to Ryan Steckline in relief.
- SPU jumped all over the new pitcher out of the gate, beginning with a leadoff single by captain Chris Marquart.
- Immediately after the single, Marquart advanced to second via a passed ball, placing him in scoring position with no outs.
- Parker Gray then reached first by way of a walk, putting team captain and best all-around hitter Andrew Connor at the plate with two on and no outs.
- In game-winning fashion, Connor sent a bomb to left center to secure the walk-off RBI double as Marquart rounded third and trotted home to give Saint Peter's the 1-0 shutout win.
Notes
- This was Warecke's first career complete game shutout win, after pitching 8.0 innings with six strikeouts, two walks, and just four hits allowed.
- Warecke has now claimed his second clean sheet win of the season for Saint Peter's after earning a 3-0 combined shutout win over Marist earlier this season on April 17.
- The senior matched his career-best marks of innings pitched and strikeouts -- which were both set during the win over Marist on 4/17.
- Connor and Marquart led the lineup offensively, both going an identical 2-for-4 at the plate while Connor recorded the game's lone RBI and Marquart had the game's only run scored.
- Font, Gray, Joey Vitiello, and Sam Delcollo each picked up a hit for the Peacocks additionally.
- Saint Peter's logged three extra base hits, led by Marquarts leadoff triple in the first, coupled with a pair of doubles by Connor and Vitiello.
- In addition to Warecke, he and Klepchick of Monmouth both combined to strikeout 16 batters and allow 0 runs in the afternoon.
- This is the first time in program history that Saint Peter's has earned three shutout wins in conference games and the first time the program has shutout three separate MAAC opponents in one season, surpassing the previous marks of two for both records -- shutout Manhattan twice in 1995 and shutout Rider and Siena once each during 2012.
- The three total clean sheet wins for Saint Peter's is the most for the program in almost a decade, having last held three or more total opponents run-less during 2012, when that lineup produced four total shutout wins -- two versus MAAC teams (Rider and Siena) and two in out of conference action (Seton Hall and Savannah State).
Game 2
Score: Saint Peter's 0, Monmouth 5
Records: Saint Peter's (3-17, 3-17 MAAC) | Monmouth (17-9, 17-9 MAAC)
Location: Joseph J. Jaroschak Field | Jersey City, NJ
How It Happened
- In game two, Monmouth jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first after Jalen Jenkins hit a solo shot over the fence.
- The Hawks would tack on two more runs in the second with another home run, and would add a pair in the third to take a 5-0 lead over the Peacocks.
- Saint Peter's would leave just four base runners on over the seven-inning defeat, falling 5-0 in the second contest.
Notes
- Delcollo was the only Peacock to post a multi-hit game in the finale, going 2-of-3 with two doubles.
- Font (1-for-3) and Vitiello (1-for-2) each record as single.
- Matthew Dubois (0-4) was dealt the defeat for Saint Peter's, while Trey Dombrowski (4-1) was the winning pitcher for Monmouth.
Up Next
- The Peacocks and Hawks conclude the hOURglass Rivalry series tomorrow at noon.
