Baseball Splits with Wildcats on Senior Day
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Johnson & Wales (RI) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 1 |
|
Mitchell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 5 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Johnson & Wales (RI) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
|
Mitchell | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 2 | X | 18 | 15 | 1 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College baseball team split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader with Johnson & Wales University on Friday afternoon at Alumni Field, falling in the opener 6-3, before routing the Wildcats 18-1 in the second game of the twin bill.
Prior to the game, the Mariners celebrated Senior Day by honoring their six senior student-athletes; Chris Gibbs (New Britain, Conn.), Eddie Kaftan (Old Lyme, Conn.), Jadon Canelli (Northford, Conn.), Michael Gajda (New Britain, Conn.), Nicholas Strojny (Woonsocket, R.I.), and Sean O'Donnell (Terryville, Conn.).
The Mariners (20-14, 11-2 GNAC) return to action with a conference game on the road at Saint Joseph's College (ME) on Tuesday, April 22. The Wildcats (19-11, 10-2 GNAC) face Rivier University in a GNAC showdown on Saturday, April 19.
Game 1 – JWU 6, Mitchell 3
The Wildcats struck first in the opening game of the day, plating a run in the top of the first on a run-scoring fielder's choice. JWU then increased their lead to 4-0 in the fifth on a two-run double by Owen Davis and a wild pitch.
Mitchell punched back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame on RBI singles by sophomore Chase Donahue (Shirley, Mass.) and junior Adam Vartanian (Cumberland, R.I.), but that was all the offense the Mariners could muster in the game. Xavier Botelho and Trevor Juan added insurance RBI singles in the eighth and ninth inning for the Wildcats, in support of JWU ace, Aidan Vining. The junior lefty went the distance, tossing nine innings of three-run ball to improve to 6-0 on the spring, striking out 15.
Vartanian went 2-4 with a pair of RBI for Mitchell, while Donahue had two hits one RBI, and a run scored. Sophomore Chas Terni Jr. (Montville, Conn.) added a pair of hits, including a double, and scored once.
Chris Gibbs shouldered the loss after surrendering five runs (four earned) across eight innings of work, walking three and striking out eight.
Game 2 – Mitchell 18, JWU 1 (7 Innings)
The Mariners offense exploded in game two, as they pounded out 15 hits and matched their season-high in runs scored with 18. Three of those runs came in the bottom of the first as Michael Gajda hit a sacrifice fly and Chas Terni Jr. laced a two-run triple to right center.
Terni Jr. then made it a 5-1 game with his eighth home run of the season in the third, a two-run shot to left center, before nine runs came across to score in the fourth to blow the game wide open. Nine different players recorded at least one base hit for the Mariners, while Terni Jr. exploded for three hits, including a triple and a homer, to go along with seven RBI and three runs scored.
Sophomore Michael Ficocelli (North Providence, R.I.) also went deep in the win, finishing 2-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Donahue added two hits in the win, as did freshman Ryan Dennis (Enfield, Conn.) and junior Kenneth Miller Jr. (New London, Conn.).
Eddie Kaftan worked six innings of one run ball to improve to 6-2 on the season, scattering five hits and one walk, striking out seven.
Justin Markell was charged with the loss after coughing up three runs in the first inning. Trevor Juan had two hits for the Wildcats.
