Baseball Punches Past Anna Maria in GNAC Tournament Opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#7 Anna Maria | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
|
#2 Mitchell | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 6 | X | 20 | 17 | 0 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The second-seeded Mitchell College baseball team erupted for 20 runs and 17 hits to open up the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Baseball Championship Tournament on Friday afternoon, powering past seventh-seeded Anna Maria College, 20-3, in pod play at Alumni Field.
Junior Nicholas Bracale (East Haven, Conn.) turned in a big day at the plate, finishing 4-6 with a home run, four RBI, and four runs scored. Sophomore Chase Donahue (Shirley, Mass.) reached base six times, collecting three hits and three walks, while freshman Ryan Dennis (Enfield, Conn.) had two hits in four at bats, adding three runs, three stolen bases, a pair of walks, and one RBI.
Sophomore Chas Terni Jr. (Montville, Conn.) added a homer, while Michael Gajda (New Britain, Conn.), Kenneth Miller Jr. (New London, Conn.), Braiden Alaimo (Enfield, Conn.), and Adam Vartanian (Cumberland, R.I.) each doubled in the win.
The Mariners struck first in the opening game of the day, as Ryan Dennis worked a leadoff walk, stole second, and eventually came around to score on an RBI groundout by sophomore Michael Ficocelli (North Providence, R.I.). The AMCATS loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the second and pushed the tying run across when Matthew Cinque laid down a run scoring bunt single. With the bases still loaded, Mitchell starter Eddie Kaftan escaped the jam, retiring the next two batters in order.
Anna Maria jumped out to their first lead of the ballgame the following inning when Jeremy Rosenberg laced a leadoff triple to centerfield and Josh Batchelder drove him in on a run scoring single through the right side.
In the bottom of the frame, the Mariners were able to pull even, as Ryan Dennis walked, stole second, then scampered home on an RBI single to leftfield by Nicholas Bracale. Bracale then advanced two bases on a pair of wild pitches, before scoring on a Michael Ficocelli sacrifice fly, pushing Mitchell ahead, 3-2.
Following a scoreless fourth, the AMCATS tied the game in the fifth when Justin Chiulli ripped an RBI double to right center to score Jonathan Guardascione, who had reached on a single to centerfield.
The Mariners answered immediately using a run scoring double off the bat of Kenneth Miller Jr. to go up one run, before a bases clearing three-run double by Braiden Alaimo broke the game open. The Mariners added two runs in the sixth, five in the seventh, and six more in the eighth, setting a new high water mark for runs scored in a game this season.
Senior Eddie Kaftan (Old Lyme, Conn.) picked up the win, tossing seven innings of three-run ball, walking three and striking out seven.
Nick Choate surrendered seven runs in five innings of a losing effort for the AMCATS. Jonathan Guardascione had two hits, one RBI, and scored one run. Jeremy Rosenberg also had two hits for Anna Maria.
The Mariners (23-16) advance into the winner's bracket of the tournament's opening weekend and will face the winner Friday afternoon's game between #3 Lasell University and #6 Rivier University on Saturday, May 3, at 12:00 pm.
