Baseball Sinks Cadets to Collect Second GNAC Victory

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Mitchell College freshman Chas Terni Jr. (Montville, Conn.) finished 4-4 with four RBI and one run scored on Sunday afternoon, helping power the Mariners past Norwich University 8-2 in a GNAC battle at Alumni Field.

The four runs driven in are a collegiate career-high for Terni Jr., whose bases clearing double to right-center in the third inning broke open a 3-1 game. Sophomore Adam Vartanian (Cumberland, R.I.) also recorded four hits and scored one run, while senior Angel Galindez (Carolina, PR) went 3-5, driving in one run and scoring twice.

After a scoreless first inning, the Mariners jumped out to a three run lead in the bottom of the second on RBI doubles from senior Cole Lalli (Coventry, Conn.) and Terni Jr. The Cadets got one run back in the top of the third when Geffen Franus doubled off Mitchell starting pitcher Thai-ler Sestokas (Danbury, Conn.). Terni Jr.'s three-run double in the bottom half of the inning pushed the Mitchell lead to 6-1, and Galindez added another run on a double down the left field line the following inning.

Norwich pushed one more run across in the top of the eighth inning on a run scoring single off the bat of Trevor Lussier, before a RBI groundout by Mitchell's Owen Robbins (East Lyme, Conn.) capped the scoring in the bottom of the frame.

Sestokas got the start for the Mariners and turned in three innings of two hit ball, surrendering just one run and striking out four. Junior righty Nicholas Strojny (Woonsocket, R.I.) came out of the bullpen to pick up his first win of the season, allowing just one run and four hits across six innings of work, walking one and striking out four.

Norwich's Nick Beavin was charged with the loss after allowing six runs in three innings.

Trevor Lussier led the offensive attack for the Cadets, finishing 2-3 with one RBI and a walk.

Winners of back to back conference games, the Mariners (10-6, 2-0 GNAC) will look to make it three in a row when they return to the diamond on Tuesday, March 26th, with a GNAC showdown at Lasell University with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 pm. The Cadets (1-13, 0-2 GNAC) return to action on Friday, March 29th, with a GNAC doubleheader at Elms College.