Baseball's Historic Season Ends At GNAC Finals

- NORTHBORO, MASS: The Anna Maria College baseball team saw their 2021 season come to a close with a pair of losses to visiting Johnson & Wales University in the championship round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament on Saturday afternoon at the New England Baseball Complex in Northboro, Massachusetts.

It was the first time in school history the AMCATS had reached the GNAC Finals.

 THE BASICS:

- Date: Saturday, May 8, 2021

- Score: Game 1 – Johnson & Wales 8, Anna Maria 3 | Game 2 – Johnson & Wales 6, Anna Maria 5

- Records: Wildcats of Johnson & Wales 12-13 | AMCATS of Anna Maria 18-10

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1:

• After two scoreless innings to open game one, it would be the Wildcats striking first as senior center fielder Armani Henderson (Johnston, RI) stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the third inning and dropped a single into center field, driving in the first run of the game while keeping the bases full. But Anna Maria senior Jack Marzec (Northbridge, MA / Northbridge) answered the bell, striking out the next batter and getting out of the inning with a groundout.         
• In the top of the fifth inning, Johnson & Wales senior second baseman Joe Maracic (Syosset, NY) single to center field to plate the second run of the game as the Wildcats took a 2-0 lead.
• The AMCATS would finally answer in the bottom of the fifth, as freshman second baseman Luke Halunen (Carver, MA) hit a shot to deep right caught in foul territory to plate senior right fielder Jason Shell (Sandwich, MA) off a sacrifice fly, pulling Anna Maria to within one at 2-1.   
• In the top of the sixth, an errant throw to first by Marzec allowed Johnson & Wales freshman first baseman EJ Leone (Peabody, MA) to come around and score, giving the Wildcats a 3-1 advantage.
• In the bottom of the sixth, a fielding error combined with a wild pitch put Anna Maria junior shortstop Kosta Drosidis (Holden, MA) in scoring position with no outs. Two batters later, senior designated hitter Noah Holland (Sandwich, MA) took a 0-2 pitch and slapped it through the left side for a single to plate Drosidis, pulling the AMCATS back to within one run.
• In the top of the eighth, the Wildcats loaded the bases with one out when senior designated hitter Raimiel Rodriguez (Providence, RI) stepped to the plate and hit a deep single to left field, plating two more runs and giving Johnson & Wales a three-run lead. On the very next at bat, Henderson drove the ball to center for a ground ruled double, extending the Wildcat lead to four. Two batters later, a rushed throw to first by the third baseman allowed two two more unearned runs, as Johnson & Wales pulled away with an 8-2 lead.
• With the game slipping away, Shell stepped up to the plate in the bottom on the eighth with the bases loaded and one out. The senior drove in a run off an RBI groundout to first, giving the AMCATS their third run of the game. That would be as close as Anna Maria would get, however, as they fell for the 8-3 final.
• Marzec, the 2019 GNAC Pitcher of the Year playing in the final home game of his storied collegiate career, tallied a season-high ten strikeouts in seven and one-third innings for the AMCATS, one short of his career high.
• Johnson & Wales senior starting pitcher Steve Rocchio (Cranston, RI) stymied the Anna Maria lineup for much of the day, surrendering just one earned run over six innings to pick up the win. Junior relief pitcher Dane DellaValle (Howell, NJ) struck out three AMCATS in three innings to pick up the save.

 HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2:

• Playing as the "road team" in game two, the AMCATS took their first lead of the day in the top of the third inning when senior first baseman Nick Genatossio (Sutton, MA) stepped to the plate with two runners on and hit a hard single to right, plating senior center fielder Adam Twitchell (Shrewsbury, MA). On the very next at bat, Holland hit a sacrifice fly to left field that nearly went over the wall, allowing sophomore third baseman James Powers (Folsom, CA) to tag up on scored from third. Anna Maria was finally in business, up 2-0.
• In the bottom of the third, the Wildcats capitalized on a wild pitch as Leone scored from third, pulling them to within one at 2-1.
• In the top of the fourth, Anna Maria got that run back as Shell blasted a shot over the center field fence for his second home run of the season, giving the AMCATS a 3-1 lead.  
• In the top of the fifth, Holland would plate a run off his second sacrifice fly of the game, scoring Powers and putting Anna Maria up 4-1.
• In the bottom of the fifth, Johnson & Wales would answer, as senior catcher Colby Greenhalgh (Plainfield, CT) hit a line drive to left to plate a run. On the very next at bat, Rodriguez launched a three-run blast to left center as the Wildcats, took the leading for the first time in the game, going up 5-4.  It was the first home run of the day for JWU. Three batters later, Maracic hit a long ball headed over the center field fence only to be robbed of a homer by an incredible leaping grab by Twitchell. The AMCATS would escape the inning, catching the runner at second leaving early.  
• The score remained 5-4 until, in the bottom of the eighth, Johnson & Wales senior shortstop Justin Perez (Willimantic, CT) hit a ball to deep center for a sacrifice fly.  
• Down by two in the top of the ninth and down to their final three outs of their season, the AMCATS turned once again to senior Adam Twitchell, who launched a solo home run to straight-ahead center, pulling Anna Maria to within one. Then, with two outs and one runner on, Holland came to the plate and hit a ball deep to center field, only to fly out, as the AMCAT season came to a close.
• Anna Maria sophomore starting pitcher Chris Brouwer (Northbridge, MA) went four innings for the AMCATS, striking out four.             
• Johnson & Wales senior pitcher Kyle Cutler (East Hampton, CT) was on the mound through the first four innings, striking out one.  

 ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:

• Johnson & Wales senior Raimiel Rodriguez was named the Most Valuable Player of the GNAC Tournament. Also representing the Champion Wildcats on the All-Tournament team were Henderson, senior Patrick Fleming (Lincoln, RI) and senior pitcher Ryan Depatie (Pawtucket, RI).
• Representing the runner-up AMCATS on the All-Tournament team were Twitchell, Genatossio and Shell.
• Representing Albertus Magnus were seniors Shawn McFeggan (Anaheim, CA) and Matt Warren (Wolcott, CT).
• Representing Lasell University were senior infielder Wyatt Sihvonen (Lebanon, CT) and freshman pitcher CJ Mills (Waltham, MA).

 UP NEXT:

• Anna Maria concludes its season having made the final round of the GNAC playoffs for the first time in school history. Congratulations to the whole program on a successful season.

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