Baseball Advance to GNAC Championship Final

PROVIDENCE, RI: On Saturday afternoon, the Anna Maria College Baseball team participated in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) conference tournament at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Saturday, May 6, 2023
• Game 1: #3 Anna Maria 4, Johnson & Wales 6
• Records: Anna Maria AMCATS 21-19 | Johnson & Wales Wildcats 27-13
• Game 2: Elms 2, Anna Maria 3
• Records: Elms College Blazers 24-15 | Anna Maria AMCATS 22-19

HIGHLIGHTS

• Game #1
  • The AMCATS were the first ones on the scoreboard behind a two-out rally in the second inning. Freshman third baseman David Doherty (North Smithfield, RI) singled through the left side of the infield and was then followed by senior center fielder Hunter Dunithan (Reno, NV) who also singled through the left side of the infield. Senior left fielder Tommy Sasso (Grafton, MA) then singled to left field to drive in Doherty with the game's first run.
  • The AMCATS extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the third inning. Senior designated hitter James Powers (Folsom, CA) led off the inning with his 10^th home run of the season, a towering shot to right field. Two batters later graduate student right fielder Jarrod Marifiote (Framingham, MA) doubled to the left-center field gap, and then sophomore first baseman Jeremy Rosenberg (Boynton Beach, FL) singled into left-center field to move Marifiote to third. Freshman catcher Brady Alyward (Southington, CT) then brought him home with a sacrifice fly to right field.
  • The Wildcats responded with a run in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead to 3-1 and then added another to cut the lead to a single run in the fifth inning.
  • Feeling the crunch, the AMCATS responded with another two-out rally. Sasso doubled to left field and then scored on an RBI single through the five-and-a-half hole by Powers to put the AMCATS up 4-2.
  • A pair of two-run innings by the Wildcats in the seventh and eighth innings allowed the top seeds to advance directly to the championship game on Sunday afternoon while the AMCATS
• Game 2
  • With their season on the line, the AMCATS turned to sophomore left-hander Michael Shorey (Northbridge, MA) and Shorey responded by allowing only two runs over seven innings. With the win, Shorey improved his record to 5-2.
  • The Blazers scored the game's first run in the top of the fourth inning but the AMCATS evened the score with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Sasso singled into center field with one out and moved to second when Powers walked. Two batters later Sasso scored when Marifiote lined a ball through the second baseman's legs.
  • In the bottom of the sixth inning, the AMCATS added two more runs to take a 3-1 lead. With one out, junior second baseman Christian Villa (Concord, CA) singled into left field and moved to second on a ground out by Doherty. Freshman left fielder AJ Guitron-Moore (Newport Harbor, CA) then doubled just inside the first base bag to score Villa. After Sasso walked, Powers then singled down the right field line to knock in Guitron-Moore with what would be the game-winning run.
  • The Blazers did score one more run in the top of the seventh before three AMCAT relievers combined for two scoreless innings to close out the game. Senior Bob Ross (Rochester, MA), freshman Conor Francesconi (Beverly, MA), and freshman Carlos Santos (Providence, RI) each threw two-thirds of an inning to close out the game. Santos was credited with his first career save, recording the final two with the bases loaded.

UP NEXT:

Anna Maria will be back in action on Sunday when they will look to avenge their first game with two victories over the Johnson & Wales Wildcats for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference championship at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex. The first pitch is scheduled for noon.

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