Jaime Morin Pitches Owls Over St. Joseph's College in NCAA Action
HARWICH, MASS. 5/14/08 - Senior Jaime Morin (Goffstown, N.H.) pitched a masterful three-hitter with 13 strikeouts and senior right fielder Greg Ford (Nshaua, N.H.) cracked a three-run home run to lead third seed Keene State College to a 6-1 victory over St. Joseph’s College on Maine in a NCAA New England Regional tournament game played at Whitehouse Field in Harwich, Mass.
“The curve ball and slider were on and “Cippy” (Anthony Cipolla) called a great game and I hit spots,’ said Morin, who went 17 consecutive innings before giving up a run in the ninth. To start off the tournament 1-0 is huge.”
“It was a work of excellence again, said KSC Coach Ken Howe about Morin who followed his 1-0, 15-strikout LEC Tournament shutout over Eastern Conn. with his gem against the Monks. He was in complete command throwing strike one and that’s very important.”
Keene State (34-9) will play the winner of the Wheaton College/Worcester State game on Thursday at 8 p.m. St. Joseph’s (28-17) takes on the loser of the Wheaton/WSC game.
The Owls got out of a mild jam in the top of the first inning. With one out, senior second baseman Brian Schools (Gorham, Me.) singled up the middle, but was left stranded at third after KSC senior starter Jaime Morin (Goffstown, N.H.) fanned sophomore first baseman Ben Grant-Roy (Biddeford, Me.).
The Monks threatened again in the second, but with the bases loaded SJC junior right fielder Wade Oliver (Owls Head, Me.) struck out swinging on a curve ball by Morin. “I got on cruise control a little bit and just pumped up to come out of here with a win,” Morin said.
KSC got its lead-off batters on in the first three innings, but couldn’t muster a run.
Morin struck out the side in the top of the fifth, giving his five in a row and eight in the game.
The Owls broke through with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore first baseman Beau Darak (Londonderry, N.H.) worked a four-pitch walked and was sacrificed to second by senior shortstop Ryan Jones (Nashua, N.H.). Junior centerfielder Jeff Perkins (Dunbarton, N.H.) followed with an infield hit to short, moving Darak to third. Following a stolen base by Perkins, senior third baseman Joe Rousseau (Nashua, N.H.) lined a single to right center to bring home Darak and Perkins.
Keene State loaded the bases in the sixth and got one more run a ground out by Darak that plated sophomore Anthony Cipolla (Glastonbury, Conn.) who opened the inning with a single.
Cipolla began the bottom of the eighth by reaching second on a throwing error. He got over to third on a sacrifice by freshman leftfielder Bobby Doyon (Keene, N.H.). Following an intentional walk to freshman John Barber (Brattleboro, Vt.), senior right fielder cracked a three-run home run to right, his 13th of the season, tying Darak for the team lead.
“With a slow pitcher you have to stay back and try to hit the ball the other way,” said Ford. I just hit the ball at the right time, in the right spot to get it out.”
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth Morin lost his shutout. Senior Dustin Spiller (Gorham, Me.) walked and scored a double by Ian lee (Hampden, Me.). Morin ended the game by fanning freshman Todd Keneborus (Hollis Center, Me.).
Perkins, hitting from the lead-off spot, got three hits. Cipolla had two hits and two RBIs for KSC, which finished the game with 10 hits.
Four different players had hits for St. Joseph’s with Lee getting the only extra-base hit.
Named to the All-LEC first team on Wednesday, Morin, who improves to 6-0 on the season. He had three walks to go with his 13 strikeouts.
Sophomore Andrew Keirstead (Westbrook, Me.), who goes to 6-3, took the loss for the Monks.
St. Joseph’s defeated KSC 5-4 in a 10 inning game in Standish, Maine back on May. 1.
Follow all the action here.
