COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College baseball team swept a Wednesday non-conference doubleheader against the College of Saint Joseph (Vt.), 6-2 and 9-5, at Doc Jacobs Field. The Purple Knights improve to 8-17 overall, while the Fighting Saints, who are ranked eighth in this week's United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) national poll, move to 25-27. Both of Wednesday's games were seven-inning contests.

Senior George Buteau (Burlington, Vt./Trinity-Pawling School) went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a double in game one for Saint Michael's, while sophomore Drew Salk (Billerica, Mass./Billerica Memorial) drew two walks and scored two runs. Junior Matt Feeney (Portsmouth, N.H./Portsmouth) and sophomore Steven Auger (Hopkinton, N.H./Hopkinton) both had a hit and a stolen base, with Feeney also providing a sacrifice fly and a sacrifice bunt. Senior Michael Dougherty (Albany, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy/Schenectady County CC) added a hit, a walk and a run. Senior Will Corkum (Ipswich, Mass./Ipswich) allowed two runs - no earned - on six hits with four strikeouts in six innings for the win. First-year Steve Knable (Manalapan, N.J./Saint John Vianney) threw a scoreless frame with one strikeout.

Junior Jayson Osborne went 2-for-3 with a run scored for Saint Joseph, while first-year Felipe Vargas doubled. Junior Jordan Matos and sophomore Tyler Kunzmann both had a hit and an RBI, with Matos also drawing a walk. Junior Alan Madsen was tagged with the loss after surrendering three runs on seven hits in five innings.

After two scoreless innings, Saint Michael's struck with two runs on three hits in the third. Dougherty and Salk started the frame with back-to-back singles and both landed in scoring position after Feeney's sacrifice bunt. Buteau then singled through the right side to score both runners as the hosts now led, 2-0. The Purple Knights plated another run in the fifth after Feeney singled, stole second and later scored on a Fighting Saint throwing error. Saint Joseph ended the shutout with a pair of sixth-inning runs on sacrifice flies by Kunzmann and Matos to trim the deficit to 5-2.

The hosts got back three runs in the home half of the same inning as Feeney provided a sacrifice fly just before Buteau ripped a two-out, two-run double to give the Purple and Gold a 6-2 advantage. Knable came on in the seventh and had runners at first and second before striking out the final batter to end the game.

In game two, senior Nicky Elderton (Shelburne, Vt./Rice Memorial) doubled twice, scored a run and had two RBIs as part of his 3-for-4 showing for the hosts, moving alone into first place in program history with 29 career doubles, while Salk had a hit and three RBIs. Junior Alex Holt (Framingham, Mass./Marian) was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and first-year Peter Bocchino (Saugus, Mass./The Governor's Academy) went 2-for-4 with a double. First-year Colin Brennan (Braintree, Mass./Boston College HS) was the second of five Purple Knight pitchers and earned his first collegiate win by throwing a scoreless inning with one hit and one strikeout. Senior Barry Maily (Moosup, Conn./Plainfield) struck out four of eight batters faced during two innings of relief work, while sophomore Alex Winkelmann (Gilford, N.H./Tilton School) fanned four over the first two innings.

First-year John Coppola was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Matos finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a double, and Kunzmann was also 2-for-4 with a double. Sophomore Connor Martin scored two runs and stole a base and first-year Jovan Henriquez took the loss after throwing 2.2 innings and allowing seven runs, five being earned.

Saint Joseph jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second when Coppola knocked a two-run single with two down and Matos followed with a two-run double. All four runs were unearned. The Purple Knights responded with two runs in the home of the frame when Holt singled to right center for a run and Salk drew a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch as the hosts cut the margin to 4-2. The Purple and Gold then erupted for seven runs, all with two outs, on five hits in the third. Holt contributed an RBI single for the second straight inning while Salk laced a two-run single, Feeney added an RBI single and Elderton capped the big inning with a two-run double as Saint Michael's forged a 9-4 lead.

After two scoreless frames, Saint Joseph manufactured its fifth and final run in the sixth with a double steal by Coppola and Martin, with Coppola coming home on a throwing error to third base. Sophomore Luke Barkowski (Dorchester, Mass./Deerfield Academy) allowed a leadoff single in the seventh but set down the next three batters to end the game.

The Purple Knights travel to Northeast-10 Conference foe American International College on Thursday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.