Recap for the game: Drury vs Monument Mountain on Apr 16
Monument Outduels Drury In Tourney Final
Staff reports
12:12AM / Friday, April 27, 2012
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — There might be a little bit of an early-season slump going on for the offense of the Drury baseball team in 2012. Either that or Nick Greenleaf was just really good on Monday.
The Spartans' starter allowed just one earned run on two hits, striking out nine and walking two to lead Monument Mountain to a 3-1 win over the Blue Devils in the finals of the Monument Baseball Classic. The Drury offense just didn't have an answer for Greenleaf, who somehow got out of three early jams by stranding a Devils' runner on third base. After surviving some early scares, Greenleaf settled in, retiring nine of the last 10 Drury batters he faced, including seven in a row to close out the game.
"We fought hard but couldn't get anything going offensively against Greenleaf," Blue Devils head coach Al Marceau said. "He threw the ball really well, and we couldn't capitalize on our opportunities. Robert Jutras pitched a great game, and I was pleased with how we battled today against a very good Monument team."
Jutras kept Drury (1-2) in the game by allowing two runs in four-plus innings of work. He struck out seven batters but walked six more before being relieved by senior classmate Joel Giorgi early in the fifth. Jutras also scored his team's only run after earning a four-pitch walk with one out in the top of the fourth inning. He was brought home by junior Alex Bush, who doubled to right-center field to give the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead.
After the Spartans (4-0) tied the game with a run of its own in the bottom half of the frame, Greenleaf started off the fifth with a leadoff double to left field. He would later score on a single to center field by Dan Meandro. One inning later, Monument added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly by Bobby Kinne.
Drury next plays its first home game of the season on Wednesday with a date against Pittsfield at 1 p.m.
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