Filloramo strikes out five in no-decision
LAKE WALES, Fla. – The Wheaton College baseball team, ranked no.1 overall in the latest D3baseball.com national poll, dropped a 2-1 decision to no.12 St. Joseph's (Maine) on Monday afternoon at Warner University.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Alex Valenti (Lawrence, Mass./Central Catholic) earned his first win of the season on five innings, four hits, one run (earned), three walks and four strikeouts. Left-handed reliever Dan Meeken (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) tossed two shutout innings while freshman Corey McNamara (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) notched his second save of the season allowing one hit and one walk over two scoreless innings.
Wheaton junior right-hander Nick Filloramo (Rochester, Mass./Old Rochester Regional)fanned a game-high five batters, gave up three hits, two runs (both earned) and three walks in six innings of work. Freshman Eric Dumas (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) allowed a pair of hits in two scoreless frames in relief.
St. Joseph's picked up a 1-0 lead in the fourth as senior first baseman Mike Pratt (Dartmouth, Mass./Bishop Stang) plated junior third baseman Alex Markakis (Lynnfield, Mass./St. John's Prep) with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Senior second baseman Brandon Chase (Naples, Maine/Lake Region) pushed the Monks advantage to 2-0 in the fifth with an RBI double up the middle.
In the sixth, Wheaton cut into the deficit, 2-1, with a sacrifice fly to right field in foul territory off the bat of sophomore third baseman Justin Peluso (North Andover, Mass./Saint John's Prep).
Classmate Tyler Contillo (Montville, Conn./Montville) and senior catcher Dan Gusovsky (Andover, Mass./Andover) led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Freshman second baseman Matt Lavanchy (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) advanced both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt down the third base line to set up the scoring. After hitting freshman center fielder Jimmy Smith (Worcester, Mass./Saint John's) with a pitch, Meeken stranded the tying run from scoring with a groundout to third.
Wheaton (3-2, 0-0 NEWMAC) plays Keene State College tomorrow in Auburndale, Fla. at Lake Myrtle Park with first pitch scheduled for 10:00 a.m. St. Joseph's (5-0, 0-0 GNAC) takes on the Owls at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow.