Baseball Comes Up Short Against MIT

NEW LONDON, Conn. – After trailing the entire game, the Mitchell College baseball team scored four unanswered late inning runs to make it a one run game on Tuesday afternoon, but the Mariners were unable to complete the comeback, falling short against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 10-6 in non-conference action at Alumni Field.

Senior Owen Robbins (East Lyme, Conn.), senior Angel Galindez (Carolina, PR), and sophomore Adam Vartanian (Cumberland, R.I.) finished with two hits apiece for the Mariners, while freshman Michael Ficocelli (North Providence, R.I.) went 1-4 with a bases clearing double.

The Engineers took an early lead, scoring one run in the first on a Mitchell error, before adding three more in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Teddy Schoenfeld and on a two-run double off the bat of Zev Moore. The Mariners trimmed the deficit to two and made it a 4-2 ballgame in the fifth when Vartanian drove in a run on a single to right field and Robbins followed that up with a ground rule double to dead center, sending Vartanian home.

After MIT scored two more in the top of the sixth to make it 7-2, Ficocelli cleared the bases with a double down the right field line in the seventh. The Mariners added one more in the eighth on a fielder's choice, but the comeback ended there, as the Engineers plated three more insurance runs in the top of the ninth to seal the victory.

The Engineers pounded out 14 hits against the Mariners, with Michael Finch leading the way with a 3-6 performance, which included a two-run home run, four RBI, and a run scored.

Sophomore Jacob Quiles (Wallkill, N.Y.) was charged with the loss for Mitchell, surrendering four runs (two earned) in four innings of work.

Phillip Hood picked up his first win of the season for MIT after tossing three innings in relief of starting pitcher Reed Tubbs, who posted four shutout frames. Saketh Gabbita notched his first save of the season, closing the door with one and a third no hit innings.

The Mariners (8-5, 0-0) jump right back into action on Wednesday, March 20th, traveling for a non-conference game against #8 Salve Regina University at 3:30 pm. The Engineers (7-4, 0-0 NEWMAC) will look to make it two straight wins when they play their third game in as many days on Wednesday, March 20th, at home against the University of Southern Maine.