Baseball Marches to 7-2, 5-1 Victories over Norwich

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass.—The Anna Maria College baseball team completed their first sweep of the season, downing the Cadets of Norwich University by scores of 7-2 and 5-1 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.

With today's wins, the AMCATS best last season's total wins and improve to 8-22 overall and 4-4 in league play. Norwich falls to 3-24 overall and 1-7 in GNAC action.

GAME ONE: ANNA MARIA 7, NORWICH 2

The AMCATS used six hits to score seven runs, five earned, en route to the victory over Norwich.

Sophomore pitcher Camden Brown (Gardner, Mass.) gave up five hits and just one earned run for Anna Maria in the complete-game victory. He also helped himself at the plate with an RBI double in the bottom of the second inning to plate the go-ahead run in what was a 1-1 ballgame after the first inning.

The AMCATS would score two more runs in the second inning as a double by Nate Gray (Kingston, N.Y.) scored two for a 4-1 lead entering the third.

Anna Maria would never trail in the game. Norwich cut the lead to two runs in the top of the fourth on an unearned run, but Anna Maria responded with a three-run fifth inning to seal the victory.

In addition to Brown's double, the AMCATS also saw doubles from freshman Connor Lavin (Leicester, Mass.), Gray, and junior Joseph Fahey (Auburn, Mass.). Six different batters contributed to the AMCATS' seven hits, led by Brown with two. 

Norwich senior pitcher Brian Whaley (St. Louis, Mo.) took the loss, giving up all six hits and all of Anna Maria's scoring in 4.2 innings of work. He also walked four while striking out one.

Brian Baker (Keene, N.H.) drove in Norwich's lone earned run; the Cadets had five different batters finish with a hit apiece. Lead-off batter Kevin Lynch (Randolph, Mass.) finished 1-for-3 with a run.

GAME TWO: ANNA MARIA 5, NORWICH 1

Anna Maria carried their momentum from the game one victory into the nightcap, using eight hits to score five earned runs while holding the Cadets to just one run.

After two-and-a-half scoreless innings, the AMCATS plated one run in the bottom of the third on a single to right-center by James Marcello (Mansfield, Mass.) that scored Matt Elliot (Attleboro, Mass.) for the 1-0 lead.

Anna Maria exploded for three more runs an inning later, as the inning opened with Roy and Lavin reaching on a single and walk, respectively. Roy scored on a double

In the top of the sixth, Norwich led off with a double by Dustin Spatz (Bernville, Pa.), who would come around to score Norwich's lone run on a one-out single by Kevin Lynch (Randolph, Mass.). Lynch would later become the third out of the inning on a 1-3-4-1 pick-off.

The AMCATS wasted no time replacing that run as Feola drove in Fahey on an RBI single to right field for the 5-1 lead. Anna Maria has the opportunity to score more in the inning but stranded runners at second and third.

The Cadets staged a comeback in the top of the seventh as lead-off batter Tim Haggerty reached on a field error by Roy at third base, but the AMCATS easily got out of the inning with a strikeout and a 5-4-3 double play.

Marcello batted 3-for-3 with two RBI from the leadoff slot. Feola finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. The AMCATS also saw hits from Roy, Elliot, and Fahey with a triple for an eight-hit outing.

Senior Matthew Leahey (Rutland, Mass.) his first win of the season on the mound for Anna Maria, scattering four hits and one run while fanning three and walking zero in the complete-game effort.

Kaleb Smith (Dover Foxcroft, Maine) took the loss for Norwich, sacrificing eight hits, five runs, and two walks in 5.1 innings of work.

THE SERIES

Today's sweep moves the AMCATS to a 9-5-1 all-time record against Norwich. It also stretches the current winning streak to three games including last season's 5-1 win in game two in Northfield, Vermont on April 15^th, 2015.

WHAT'S NEXT

Both teams return to GNAC action on Saturday at noon—Anna Maria travels to Saint Joseph's College, while the Cadets will travel to Lasell.