Baseball Advances To GNAC Finals

- NORTHBORO, MASS: The Anna Maria College baseball team advanced to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship finals for the first time in school history with a 6-2 victory over visiting Albertus Magnus College on Thursday afternoon, in the GNAC semifinals at the New England Baseball Complex in Northboro, Massachusetts.

THE BASICS:

- Date: Thursday, May 6, 2021

- Score: Anna Maria 6, Albertus Magnus 2  

- Records: Falcons of Albertus Magnus 5-14 | AMCATS of Anna Maria 18-8

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The AMCATS scored early and scored often, with junior left fielder Jarrod Marifiote (Framingham, MA) starting the party in the bottom of the first when he drove a liner to deep right field then capitalized on a favorable bounce to round the bases for an inside the park home run as Anna Maria went up 1-0.
• In the bottom of the second, the AMCATS scored on a traditional long ball when senior first baseman Nick Genatossio (Sutton, MA) sent a two-run blast over the right-field fence to give Anna Maria a 3-0 lead. The hosts would add one more when senior starting pitcher Adam Twitchell (Shrewsbury, MA) singled to the mound and beat the throw, plating senior right fielder Jason Shell (Sandwich, MA).          
• In the bottom of the third, the AMCAT onslaught would continue, as freshman second baseman Luke Halunen (Carver, MA) went yard to left for the rookie's first career home run, plating himself and Genatossio. Anna Maria had opened up a 6-0 lead.
• Albertus Magnus finally broke through in the top of the sixth plating one run, adding one more in the top of the ninth when they drew a walk with the bases loaded. But that would be as close as the Falcons would get as the AMCATS recorded the final out on a groundout to first.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Twitchell went six innings on the mound to pick up the win, striking out five Falcons and allowing just one earned run.
• Anna Maria senior pitcher Liam Cunningham (Northbridge, MA) pitched two and two-thirds innings in relief for the AMCATS. Senior Jack Marzec (Northbridge, MA) recorded the final out of the game in the top of the ninth on a groundout to first to pick up the save as the Anna Maria bench cleared in celebration.               

UP NEXT:

• Anna Maria advances to the GNAC Championship for the first time in school history. The AMCATS will host Johnson & Wales University on Saturday in a best of three series at NEBC with game one scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m.

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