Standish, Maine -- The Johnson & Wales University baseball team split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference double header against St. Joseph's of Maine on the road on Saturday afternoon. JWU posted a 7-3 win in the opener with the host Monks rebounding for an 11-1 win in the nightcap.

After two scoreless innings, JWU got on the board when junior Nick Alosco (Mahopac, N.Y.) belted a three-run home run to put the Wildcats ahead 3-0. St. Joe's tallied an unearned run in the fourth and added a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of seventh to knot the game at 3-3 and force extra innings. The Wildcats proceeded to score four runs in the top of the eighth, including a two-run double by junior Nick Simon (Rumford, R.I.) to take a 7-3 lead. JWU would then hold on for the 7-3 victory. JWU senior Jonathan Melendez (Providence, R.I.) went 2-4 with two runs while Alosco was 1-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. Junior Teddy Katz (Pittsburgh, Pa.) also notched a pair of hits in the victory for the Wildcats. Senior Nick Marine (Bristol, R.I.) notched the complete-game win for JWU, allowing just six hits and three runs in eight innings of work.

In the nightcap, after three and a half scoreless innings, the Monks finally got on the board when junior Eric LaBatte (Rochester, N.H.) plated senior Ben Grant-Roy (Biddeford, Maine) with a single in the bottom of the fourth. St. Joe's added three more off four hits in the fifth as Grant-Roy and LaBatte each recorded RBI's in the frame to put the Monks on top 4-0. The Monks then tallied seven runs off five hits to take the 11-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth. In the top of the seventh, JWU freshman Aaron Fenstermacher (Dixfield, Maine) hit a solo home run. It was not enough, however as St. Joseph's took the 11-1 victory. Melendez went 2-for-3 for the Wildcats while senior Jeff Jordan (Woodbridge, N.J.) suffered the loss after allowing six runs off nine hits and three walks in 5.1 innings.

With the split Johnson & Wales is now 4-20 and 2-4 in the GNAC while St. Joseph's is 14-8 overall, 4-2 in league play. The Wildcats will return to action on Tuesday, April 6th when they host Curry in a non-conference contest at 3:30 p.m.