AMCATS Sweep Rams; Wodatch Ties Record

LAKELAND, Fla. – Junior left fielder Kevin Wodatch (Wallingford, Conn.) tied an Anna Maria College baseball record with three home runs in a game as the AMCATS swept the Framingham State University Rams in a non-conference doubleheader at Lake Bonny Field on Sunday afternoon. Anna Maria took game one 10-2 before overcoming a 2-0 deficit en route to an 11-2 win in game two.

Wodatch had an outstanding day at the plate going 4-for-8 with 7 runs batted in and 13 total bases. Shortstop Carlos Ortiz (Worcester, Mass.) was 2-for-5 with 4 RBI's and 4 runs scored while teammate Mike Gaurnieri (Wallingford, Conn) added 4 hits, 2 RBI's and 2 runs scored for the AMCATS. Senior Jeff Scafidi (Worcester, Mass.) picked up the win in game one going 5 innings and allowing no earned runs. Freshman Brandon Normandin (Oxford, Mass.) picked up the unique save going the last three innings. In game two, senior Zach Rafferty (Worcester, Mass.) picked up the victory going 4.2 innings surrendering three hits and two runs.

GAME 1

Wodatch led off the 2012 campaign with a deep drive to right field and a quick 1-0 lead. The AMCATS doubled their lead on shaky defense by the Rams as Jeff Scafidi scored the teams second run on a botched pick off play after reaching third on a single and an error.

AMC added four more runs in the second inning. With the bases loaded, Justin Hyland (Spencer, Mass.) grounded into a seemingly double play but the Rams couldn't turn two and once again had a throwing error that led to two of the teams four runs.

In the top of the third inning Kevin Wodatch smacked his second home run of the game, almost a carbon copy of the first one, with a deep drive down the right field line scoring two more AMCAT runs giving AMC an 8-1 lead.

Anna Maria built a 10-1 lead on Wodatch's record-tying third home run to right field in the top of the fifth inning.

Wodatch tied Andy Mathieu's ten-year-old record. Mathieu hit three home runs on April 17, 2002 at WPI where he went 5-for-6 that day with 7 RBI's.

GAME 2

In the nightcap, Anna Maria was the home team, and quickly surrendered two runs to the Rams in the top of the first. The AMCATS manufactured their first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. With freshman Lucas Davis (Spencer, Mass.) on first base and Carlos Ortiz at the plate, there was what seemed to be ball four so the runner and batter advanced to their respective bases but it turned out to be a 3-2 count. Ortiz had to return to the batter's box but Davis remained on second base and was credited with a stolen base. Ortiz advanced to third base on a balk and scored on another Rams error to cut the lead to 2-1.

Anna Maria evened the score at 2-all in the bottom of the fourth inning when Kevin Wodatch walked with the bases loaded and took their first lead of the game on a ground out and RBI by Justin Hyland.

In the bottom of the fifth inning the AMCATS once again loaded the bases. Mike Gaurnieri and Pat Gilman (Leominster, Mass.) had back to back walks and sophomore John Sullivan placed a beautiful bunt down the third base line to fill the bags with AMCATS. Joe McNeil (Sutton, Mass.) stepped to the plate and sliced a single to left center to score Gaurnieri. After Davis reached on a fielder's choice, Ortiz produced a SAC fly for a 5-2 advantage.

Anna Maria put the game away in the bottom of the sixth inning scoring 6 runs in the inning. Center fielder Mike Gaurnieri crushed his first homerun of the season over the left field fence to lead the way for the AMCATS.

Anna Maria continues their Spring Break sprint in Florida tomorrow when they face Washington College for a double header starting at 10:00AM in Auburdale's Lake Myrtle Park.