HOLYOKE, Mass. - Saint Joseph's College (5-13, 2-3 GNAC) cruised past Elms College (14-13, 4-5 GNAC), 8-1, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) baseball action on Tuesday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Senior Dawson Gundlah (York, Maine) gave the Monks a 2-0 lead with RBI groundouts in the first and third innings and sophomore Dylan Brander (Merrimack, N.H.) knocked in another run in the third with a two-out single.

In the top of the fourth freshman catcher Brady Cabral (Fall River, Mass.) singled, stole second, and scored on a Vinny O'Leary (North Quincy, Mass.) base hit. Senior Luke Stephens (Glastonbury, Conn.) gave the Monks a 6-0 lead with a two-run double to deep center field in the top of the fifth.

The Blazers finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth, when AJ Cook walked, moved to second on a balk, and scored on a Josh Pasini single through the right side. O'Leary delivered a two-run, two-out single in the top of the ninth to cap the scoring ledger.

ON THE MOUND:

Sophomore starter Dylan Brander (Merrimack, N.H.), sophomore southpaw Padraig Mac Seain (Brookline, N.H.), and senior reliever Luke Stephens (Glastonbury, Conn.) combined to allow one run off nine hits and just one walk with nine strikeouts in the triumph. Mac Seain earned the victory and improves to 2-2 on the season after tossing four innings in relief.

Elms starter Vinny Buono took the loss and falls to 1-3 on the season after giving up six runs on 10 hits and two walks with a pair of K's in 4.1 innings.

OFF THE BAT:

• O'Leary 3-for-4 with a run, a double, and three RBI
• Sophomore center fielder Jared Wilhelm (Tolland, Conn.) was 3-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base
• Junior third baseman Michael Wearne (Ellington, Conn.) went 2-6 with two runs and a pair of stolen bases
• Stephens and Gundlah knocked in two runs apiece
• For Elms, Pasini went 3-for-4, John Nohilly was 3-for-4, and Griffen Levesque added two singles in three at-bats

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

Saint Joseph's is now 10-4 all-time versus Elms College, the team that ended the Monks' 2023 season with a 4-1 decision in the play-in round of the GNAC Tournament.

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