Baseball Overpowers Anna Maria in GNAC Opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Anna Maria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
|
Mitchell | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 14 | 0 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College baseball team pounded out 14 hits and 10 runs on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field, powering past Anna Maria College, 10-0, in their first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) game of the season, which was shortened to seven innings due to the 10-run rule.
With the win, the Mariners have won four consecutive games since returning from their spring break trip and are batting .331 as a team during that span with a combined team ERA of 3.97.
It was another big day for sophomore Michael Ficocelli (North Providence, R.I.) who went 4-4 with a double, three RBI, a walk, and a run scored. Junior Kenneth Miller Jr. (New London, Conn.) and freshman Ryan Dennis (Enfield, Conn.) had three hits apiece, with Miller Jr. driving in two and scoring twice, while Dennis scored two runs of his own. Senior Michael Gajda (New Britain, Conn.) contributed the power, blasting a three-run home run to centerfield in the bottom of the fifth, his third of the season.
The AMCATS had no answer for senior right-handed pitcher Chris Gibbs (New Britain, Conn.) was dazzled en route to his second victory of the season. Gibbs scattered three hits and a pair of walks over seven shutout innings, striking out seven.
Following a pair of scoreless frames to begin the game, the Mariners broke out in the bottom of the third, as junior Adam Vartanian (Cumberland, R.I.) led off the inning with a single up the middle Ryan Dennis followed with a bunt single. Michael Ficocelli then drove in Vartanian with an RBI single to left field, before Kenneth Miller Jr. ripped a base hit to the Anna Maria third baseman, allowing Dennis to scamper home.
A three-run homer off the bat of Michael Gajda in the bottom of the fifth increased the Mitchell lead to 5-0, before the home squad plated four more runs in the sixth and one in the seventh, leading to an early ending to the game.
Anna Maria starter Owen Sullivan took the loss after allowing five hits and two runs across the opening two and one third innings.
The Mariners (7-12, 1-0 GNAC) will look to run their winning streak to five games when they return to the diamond at home on Tuesday, March 25, for a GNAC showdown with Colby-Sawyer College. The AMCATS (10-6, 0-1 GNAC) jump right back into action on Sunday, March 23, at home against conference foe New England College.
