Baseball Drops Two to Suffolk in Sunday Matinee

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass.—The Anna Maria College baseball team dropped a pair of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contests to the Rams of Suffolk University on Sunday afternoon, falling 6-1 in game one and 6-3 in the nightcap.

The victories boost Suffolk to 26-9 on the season and 10-2 in GNAC play, while Anna Maria falls to 8-26 overall and 4-8 in league action.

GAME ONE – SUFFOLK 6, ANNA MARIA 1

Suffolk's freshman pitcher Kevin Sinatra (East Boston, Mass.) pitched a complete game for his sixth win of the season, scattering three hits, one run, one walk and two strikeouts over the full seven innings.

On the other side of the field, the Rams tallied 11 hits to plate six earned runs. Jon Lapolla (Providence, R.I.) started things off in the first inning as he drove in the first run of the game on a single up the middle. Two innings later, Lapolla drove in two more runs on a double to left center. He finished 2-for-4 with a team-leading three RBI.

Joining Lapolla with two hits were third baseman Drew Carter (Newburyport, Mass.), designated hitter Kevin Belskie (Norristown, Pa.), and catcher Matt Brenner (Eliot, Maine).

AMCAT first baseman Matt Elliot (Attleboro, Mass.) led the home team with two hits, batting 2-2 from the seventh slot in the lineup.

Anna Maria's lone run came in the first inning as senior Matthew Leahey (Rutland, Mass.) drilled a solo home run, his fourth of the season.

Sophomore Trevor Brown (Gardner, Mass.) took the loss on the mound, scattering seven hits, five runs, two walks and strikeout over four innings of work. Classmate Zach Parker (Manchester, Mass.) pitched two scoreless innings of relief.

GAME TWO – SUFFOLK 6, ANNA MARIA 3

The nightcap was a pitchers' duel for the first four innings, as neither team plated a run. Leahey had the upper hand through the first four innings as he held the Rams to just one hit, but things changed in the top of the fifth.

Suffolk's Drew Carter (Newburyport, Mass.) led off the fifth inning with a solo homerun to centerfield. Following a walk, junior Luke Ronchi (Randolph, N.J.) cranked a second home run to bring the score to 3-0 with no outs. The AMCATS settled down to get two outs with two runners on, before sophomore Seth Coiley (Arlington, Mass.) connected for the third homerun of the inning, a three-run shot to left-center for the 6-0 lead.

Anna Maria's Nate Gray (Kingston, N.Y.) led off the bottom of the fifth with a double down the left-field line and moved to third on a one-out single by Camden Brown (Gardner, Mass.) before coming home to score on a single to right field by James Marcello (Mansfield, Mass.).

The AMCATS did not allow Suffolk another run in the game and made a strong comeback in the bottom of the ninth. Elliot opened the inning with a single, followed by a walk by Gray. Both batters moved up one base on a balk. Elliot scored on a fielding error, setting up Marcello for an RBI single up the middle to set the score at 6-3.

The third single of the inning, a poke through the right side by Joseph Fahey (Auburn, Mass.) loaded the bases with one out, but Suffolk pitcher Ryan Pordes (Hawthorn, Calif.) struck out Leahey for the second out and pitched Jakola into a routine groundball to come out of the seventh without further damage.

Pordes went the distance for Suffolk, scattering 11 hits, three runs, one walk and nine strikeouts over the seven-inning affair.

Leahey took the loss on the mound for Anna Maria, scattering four hits, six runs, two walks and two strikeouts over five full innings. Parker gave up one hit and no runs in the sixth inning before giving way to Daniel Chambers (Westfield, Mass.), who held the Rams scoreless in the seventh.

Marcello, Jonathan Roy (Worcester, Mass.), and Elliot all finished with two hits apiece. Eight of the nine AMCAT starters recorded one hit.

WHAT'S NEXT

Anna Maria travels to Nichols on Tuesday for a non-conference game. Suffolk will be back in action tomorrow for a non-conference game at Salve Regina beginning at 3:30 p.m.