NEW LONDON, Conn. – Junior Chris Gibbs (New Britain, Conn.) tossed seven innings of one-run ball while senior Camren Varney (Manchester, N.H.) tied the program record with his sixth career save, as the top-seeded Mitchell College baseball team held off second-seeded Johnson & Wales University 3-1 in the opening game of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship best-of-three series Thursday afternoon at Alumni Field.
The Mariners (31-10) will enter Sunday needing just one win to capture the GNAC Championship in their inaugural season in the conference. The second game in the best-of-three series is scheduled to begin at 11:00 am.
Gibbs scattered seven hits, walked four, and struck out a season-high 10. Varney tied the program record with his fourth save of the season and sixth all time, tossing one and two third innings to shut the door, surrendering one hit and striking out two.
The Wildcats struck first, scoring one run in the top off the first off Gibbs when junior catcher Owen Davis drove in senior Riley Hasson with a one-out groundout to second base. The Mariners managed to get runners on second and third against JWU's Ryan Schultz in the bottom of the frame, but Schultz got senior Jack Hayes (New Milford, Conn.) to line out to the first baseman to end the threat.
The top of the third saw the Wildcats get two runners on with two-outs when Riley Hasson singled through the right side and EJ Leone walked, but Gibbs escaped the jam by tallying his sixth strikeout of the day. JWU threatened again in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with just one out, but again Gibbs worked his way out of trouble, getting Jack Magane to ground into an inning ending double play.
Jack Hayes doubled with one-out to ignite the Mitchell offense in the bottom of the fourth, and after a single by freshman Chas Terni Jr. (Montville, Conn.), Hayes came around to score on an RBI single off the bat of senior Michael Gajda (New Britain, Conn.). Owen Robbins (East Lyme, Conn.) then walked to load the bases, before the Mariners took a 2-1 lead when Thai-ler Sestokas (Danbury, Conn.) hit into a fielder's choice and JWU was unable to complete the double play.
Riley Hasson doubled with two outs in the top of the seventh and EJ Leone followed with a walk, setting JWU up with runners on first and second, but Gibbs blew a fastball past Owen Davis for his season-high 10th strikeout of the game. The Mariners then added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning when a JWU error with two outs allowed Angel Galindez (Carolina, PR) to sprint home.
Senior Camren Varney entered the game out of the bullpen for the Mariners to face a bases loaded situation with one out in the top of the eighth, but the hard throwing righty immediately induced a double play, as Jack Magane lined out to Mitchell shortstop Angel Galindez, who was in the perfect position to step on second base, ending the inning.
Varney returned to the mound in the top of the ninth and retired the Wildcats in order to pick up the save.
Galindez and Gajda had two hits apiece for the Mariners, while Sestokas and Gajda drove in one run each.
Riley Hasson finished 3-4 with one run scored, while EJ Leone collected two hits and two walks. Junior Ryan Schultz dropped to 4-2 on the spring after allowing three runs (two earned) and seven hits across eight innings.