Baseball Opens Season With Home Victory Against Gordon Wednesday Afternoon

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) baseball team opened the 2025 regular season by defeating Gordon College (Gordon), 7-4, during non-conference play Wednesday afternoon at the USJ Baseball Field in West Hartford, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays started the year 1-0, while the Scots kicked off their new campaign 0-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• USJ wasted little time opening up the scoring, as freshman infielder Jack Kane (West Hartford, Conn.) ripped a one-out single through the right side, enabling junior infielder JJ Fox (Killingworth, Conn.) to score and establish a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
• Gordon responded in the top half of the third, plating two runs to take a 2-1 lead.
• The Blue Jays fired right back in the bottom half of the frame, as Kane came up clutch again, launching a triple to straight-away center, which scored sophomore infielder Lawrence Winslow (Melbourne, Fla.) and tied the game at 2-2.
• During the very next at-bat, Kane scored off a wild pitch, before sophomore outfielder Joseph Fritz (Tampa, Fla.) was able to hit a ball that rolled past the Scots' center fielder, enabling Fritz to score an inside-the-park homerun, and increased the USJ lead to 4-2.
• USJ would score once more to round out the inning, taking advantage of an error that saw junior outfielder Ryan Quinn (Middletown, Conn.) score to establish a 5-2 lead.
• The Blue Jays tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth, starting with Fox crossing home after a wild pitch. Then, sophomore infielder Tyler Carlstrom (Rocky Hill, Conn.) would also score on a wild pitch, increasing the gap to 7-2 after six innings.
• Gordon attempted to mount a comeback, hitting a solo home run in the top of the seventh, before adding another run in the top of the ninth to cut the gap to 7-4. However, the Scots would not be able to get any closer, as USJ secured the season-opening victory, 7-4.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• Kane paced the team at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBI.
• Fritz also had a multi-hit game, recording two hits, including his first home run of the season.
• Fox was a menace on the base paths, swiping a total of four bags on the day. As a team, USJ recorded seven stolen bases.
• Sophomore Kaden Murphy (Woodstock, Conn.) got the start on the mound for USJ, picking up a no-decision after allowing two runs, one of which was earned, off three hits, and striking out two batters in 3.1 innings of work.
• Freshman Aaron LaRose (Hinesburg, Vt.) got the win (1-0) in his collegiate debut on the mound, tossing 3.2 innings in relief and registering four strikeouts, while allowing only one run off three hits.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays continue a four-game homestand to start the 2025 season, welcoming Keene State College to the USJ Baseball Field on Friday, February 28. First pitch between the Blue Jays and Owls is slated for 2:30 p.m. in West Hartford, Conn.

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