Sulliavan leads AMCAT Sweep of Albertus Magnus in GNAC Action

Worcester, Mass. – The Anna Maria College baseball team earned a sweep of Albertus Magnus College posting scores of 3-2 (8 innings) and 12-11 during Sunday afternoon's Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action at Gaskill Field in Worcester, Mass.

With the sweep, Anna Maria improves to 11-12 overall, 5-3 in GNAC action, while Albertus Magnus moves to 6-11 overall and 4-4 in GNAC play. The AMCATS are riding a three game win streak and have won eight-of-nine contests, going 5-1 over the last seven days.

Once again junior John Sullivan (Southbury, Conn.) had a monster day, the catcher was 5-for-7 at the plate, including three doubles and two triples with 5 RBI's over the two games, while senior Kevin Wodatch (Wallingford, Conn.) also notched 5 hits with two doubles and a home run in the nightcap. Senior Justin Hyland (Spencer, Mass.) belted two doubles and a triple with two RBI's.

Junior Phil Weihn (Clinton, Mass.) earned the win, with three innings of relief, in game one. The right hander allowed one run on one hit while striking out two. In game two, Hyland earned the victory, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out three Falcons and delivered the game-winning hit.

Game One: Anna Maria 3, Albertus Magnus 2 (8 innings)

After three scoreless inning, the AMCATS scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Senior Joe McNeil (Sutton, Mass.) opened the inning with a walk and was sacrificed to second base by teammate Mike Guarnieri (Wallingford, Conn.). Next Hyland stepped to the plate and delivered a line drive RBI double down the right field line, scoring McNeil. Hyland came around the bases to score on a laced triple down the left field line by Sullivan.

Albertus cut the lead in half in the top of the sixth inning. Zac Sokolis opening the inning for the Falcons with a triple to center field and scored on a Lucas Davis' (Spencer, Mass.) wild pitch. Davis was knocked out of the game trying to make a tag at home plate. The sophomore had pitched five strong innings with 5 strikeouts before being removed.

The Falcons forced the game into extra inning in the top of the seventh when they scored a run on an AMCAT defensive miscue.

AMCAT senior Mike Guarnieri became the hero of game one, knocking in the game-winning run with an RBI sacrifice fly scoring freshman Anthony Risotti (Templeton, Mass.).

Game Two: Anna Maria 12, Albertus Magnus 11

In game two, the two teams combined for 30 hits, 23 runs and three errors in a nightcap slugfest. Anna Maria's offense scored 12 runs on 17 hits while Albertus Magnus platted 11 runs on 13 knocks.

Anna Maria's Kevin Wodatch opened up the home half of the first with his first home run of the season, a line drive shot to left center to tie the game at 1-1. John Sullivan would give Anna Maria their first lead of the day with his second triple of the afternoon, scoring Guarnieri who had doubled to left field.

Albertus Magnus' shortstop Patrick Dornfried drove in two in the top of second with a triple to left field in a three run inning for the Falcons to push the lead to 4-1. Anna Maria would add one in the home half of the frame with a Wodatch RBI double.

Each team would plate a pair of runs in the third inning leaving the score at 6-5 Albertus after three complete.

Albertus would push two more runs across the dish in the fourth inning off of AMCAT pitcher Phil Weihn who had replaced starting hurler Tyler Stuart in the top of the frame, to now lead 8-5.

Anna Maria would explode for four runs in the bottom of the fourth, picking up a duo of runs on a Falcons' miscue and an Patrick Bradanese single to right center to take a 9-8 lead.

Once again, Albertus would even the score in the top of the fifth inning, however the AMCATS would take a two run advantage, 11-9, in the bottom of the frame on Sullivan's second double and fourth RBI of the game.

The teams miraculously had a scoreless sixth inning but they weren't done. Albertus struck for two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 11-all. Anna Maria wasn't about to go to extra innings again. After, McNeil grounded out to start the inning, Guarnieri singled to center field and moved into scoring position with a swipe of second base. Hyland then came to the plate and line a RBI game-winning single to right center field to give the AMCATS the 12-11 victory.

Anna Maria will play again on Wednesday afternoon when they travel to Suffolk University for a GNAC twinbill starting at 3:00pm.