AMCATS Sweep Wildcats to Open GNAC Baseball Season

PROVIDENCE, RI: On Friday afternoon, the Anna Maria College Baseball team opened their Great Northeast Athletic Conference schedule when they traveled to meet the Johnson & Wales University Wildcats for a doubleheader at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Friday, March 24, 2023
• Game 1: Anna Maria 6, JWU 1 (7 Innings)
• Game 2: Anna Maria 4, JWU 2
• Records: Anna Maria AMCATS 6-7 (2-0 GNAC) | JWU Wildcats 6-7 (0-2 GNAC)

HIGHLIGHTS

• GAME 1
  • In the first game, the AMCATS were led from the mound with sophomore starter Nick Choate (Grafton, MA) picking up his first win of the season. Choate struck out 10 Wildcats in six innings while allowing one run on three hits.
  • Graduate student reliever Jack Marzec (Northbridge, MA) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to finish the win for the AMCATS.
  • The AMCATS offense made the most of two multi-run innings to put the Wildcats away. In the top of the first, senior catcher James Powers (Folsom, CA) led off the game with a single through the right side and was followed by a single to right by junior second baseman Christian Villa (Concord, CA). Three batters later graduate student shortstop Kosta Drosidis (Holden, MA) got a two-out RBI single to score Powers from second. Senior center fielder Hunter Dunithan (Reno, NV) then got a two-out RBI of his own on a single up the middle to score Villa from third. with a single to center.
  • The second big inning for the AMCATS was a four-run fifth. The inning started with a leadoff walk by Villa. Graduate student designated hitter Jarrod Marifiote (Framingham, MA) then advanced Villa to second while reaching on an error by the first baseman. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch and then Villa scored on a sac fly by sophomore first baseman Jeremy Rosenberg (Boynton Beach, FL). Marifiote then came around to score on an RBI double to right by Drosidis. A sac bunt by Dunithan moved Drosidis to third and brought freshman pinch hitter Dominic Brown to the plate. Brown walked and moved to second on a wild pitch that also allowed Drosidis to score from third. Freshman third baseman David Doherty (North Smithfield, RI) capped the AMCATS scoring when he brought Brown home with a double to right center.
• GAME 2
  • After finishing the first game, Marzec stuck around to start the second game and allowed two runs over seven innings while striking out eight and scattering seven hits.
  • Junior Anthony Pingeton (Charlton, MA) pitched the final two innings striking out six while allowing a single hit to record his first save of the season.
  • The AMCATS scored all four of their runs in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Marifiote reached on an error by the first baseman and took the extra base when Rosenberg singled to right center and scored on an RBI double to left by Drosidis. After Dunithan walked to load the bases, Doherty was hit by a pitch to bring in the AMCATS second run.
  • Freshman catcher Brady Aylward (Southington, CT) drove in Drosidis with what would turn out to be the game-winning run on a ground out to the third baseman. The AMCATS added on an insurance run when senior outfielder Tommy Sasso (Charlton, MA) singled to left to score Dunithan but Doherty was cut down trying to score behind him to end the inning.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• This was Choate's second straight quality start (6+ innings with less than three runs allowed). This followed his six-inning three-run (one earned) effort on Saturday at Clark. It was also the third of his career to go with a complete game seven-inning shutout effort against Norwich last year.
• This was the fourth time in six appearances that Marzec has recorded the final out in a game for the AMCATS. It was the first time he has done so without recording a save and the first time without pitching at least three innings. By starting the second game of the doubleheader, it was Marzec's first start since April 15^th of last year at St. Joseph's (ME).
• The save in the second game was the second of his career for Pingeton, the first came in a 12-5 win over St. Joseph's (ME) on April 15, 2021, in a game that was also started by Marzec.
• The double in the second game gave Drosidis a streak of three games with a double and gave him four runs batted in in his last three games.

UP NEXT:

Anna Maria will be back in action on Sunday when they will play host to the New England College Pilgrims for a doubleheader at Marlborough High School. The first pitch is scheduled for noon.

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