NEW LONDON, Conn. – The top-seeded Mitchell College baseball team advanced to the championship series of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Baseball Tournament, defeating fourth-seeded Colby Sawyer College 6-1 in the seventh and final game of pod play on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.
The Mariners (30-11) entered the day needing just one victory over the Chargers, but fell by a final of 9-3 in the opener. Mitchell rebounded in the elimination game, using home runs by Michael Ficocelli (North Providence, R.I.) and Owen Robbins (East Lyme, Conn.), along with a Jacob Quilies (Wallkill, N.Y.) complete game to extend their season.
Mitchell will host the upcoming GNAC championship best-of-three series, which is schedule to be played Thursday, March 9th and Friday, March 10th. The Mariners will face the winner of the pod hosted by Johnson & Wales University, either the second-seeded Wildcats or #7 Norwich University.
Game 1 – Colby-Sawyer 9, Mitchell 3
Facing Mitchell's Joshua Scamman (Rochester, N.H.), the Chargers loaded the bases in each of the first three innings. The freshman right handed pitcher was able to escape the jams in each of the first two frames, but Colby-Sawyer broke through and plated the first run of the game when Evan Dennis drew a bases loaded walk and Devin Montalvo laced a two-run single to centerfield, chasing Scamman from the game.
Replacing Scamman was junior Nicholas Strojny (Woonsocket, R.I.), who entered with runners on second and third with nobody out, and after recording two outs surrendered a two-run single to Dylan Watson and an RBI single to Cam Carignan, pushing the Colby-Sawyer lead to 6-0.
After the Chargers added their seventh run in the top of the fifth, the Mariners plated their first two runs of the day on a two-run double off the bat of Robbie DelaCruz (Uncasville, Conn.). Again, Colby-Sawyer had an answer, scoring one in the sixth and another in the seventh, before the Mariners trimmed the deficit to six runs on a run scoring single by Jack Hayes (New Milford, Conn.) in the bottom of the eighth, however Mitchell was unable to generate any more offense.
Scamman took the loss and dropped to 3-1 on the season. The freshman surrendered five runs across two innings, while Strojny logged five innings of relief, giving up four runs (three earned). Will Carpenter tossed seven and one third innings of two-run ball, improving to 4-3 on the spring.
Cooper O'Brien finished 3-4 with two runs scored for the Chargers, while Dylan Watson went 2-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Cam Carignan, Evan Dennis, and Devin Montalvo recorded also recorded two hits apiece.
Game 2 – Mitchell 7, Colby-Sawyer 1
The Mariners wasted no time putting the first game behind them, as Angel Galindez (Carolina, PR) led off the bottom of the first with a single and came around to score on an RBI triple by Robbie DelaCruz. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Cole Lalli (Coventry, Conn.) followed to make it a 2-0 game. Two innings later, DelaCruz was once again helping fuel the Mitchell offense, leading off with a bunt single before stealing second, advancing on an error, and sprinting home on another sacrifice fly by Lalli.
Colby-Sawyer trimmed the deficit to two runs in the top of the fourth when Cooper O'Brien walked and was driven home on a double by Sean Roegar, but Owen Robbins pushed the Mitchell lead back to three runs with a solo home run to left field in the bottom half of the inning. The Mariners extended their advantage to 6-1 the next innings on the first collegiate home run by Michael Ficocelli, a two run shot to left field, and capped the scoring on an RBI groundout by Galindez in the sixth.
Sophomore Jacob Quiles (Wallkill, N.Y.) improved to 6-3 on the season, tossing the first complete game of his career, allowing five hits and three walks, while striking out six.
Ficocelli finished 3-3 with a home run, a double, three RBI, and one run scored. DelaCruz also had three hits, driving in one run and scoring three times.
Colby-Sawyer starter Zach Rogers was charged with the loss after surrendering two runs in one inning of work. Centerfielder Dylan Watson led the Chargers with two hits, while Sean Roeger had a double and drove in the team's lone run.