NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College baseball team came out on top in both games of a doubleheader against GNAC foe New England College on Saturday afternoon, topping the Pilgrims 4-1 in the opener, before cruising to a 10-3 victory in game two.
With only the first game counting towards the GNAC standings, the Mariners are now 4-0 in conference play and have won six in a row.
The Mariners (13-6, 4-0 GNAC) will look to stay hot when they return to action with a GNAC doubleheader against Albertus Magnus College on Saturday, March 30th, with first pitch in the opener set for 12:00 pm.
Game 1 – Mitchell 4, NEC 1
The Pilgrims jumped out to an early one run lead in the top of the first when junior Brady Philibotte singled, moved to third following a passed ball and an error, then came around to score on a single through the left side off the bat of senior Brett Patnode.
From there, the Mitchell pitching silenced the NEC bats, as senior Camren Varney (Manchester, N.H.) picked up his first win of the season by tossing seven innings of one run ball, allowing just four hits and two walks, while striking out seven. Sophomore Jacob Quiles (Wallkill, N.Y.) came out of the bullpen and tossed two no-hit innings for his first save of the spring, striking out four Pilgrims along the way.
Trailing by one, the Mariners countered in the bottom of the first and tied the game on an RBI single by senior Angel Galindez (Carolina, PR). Freshman Michael Ficocelli (North Providence, R.I.) put Mitchell on top for good two innings later with a single up the middle, which was misplayed by the NEC centerfielder, allowing Owen Robbins (East Lyme, Conn.) to come around and score all the way from first base.
An RBI triple to right-center field by senior Justin Adorno (New Britain, Conn.) pushed the lead to 3-1 for the home team in the bottom of the sixth, before Galindez capped the scoring with a single to centerfield in the bottom of the eighth.
Galindez finished the day 2-4 with two RBI and one walk, while sophomore Adam Vartanian (Cumberland, R.I.) went 3-4 with one run scored, and senior Jack Hayes (New Milford, Conn.) also turned in a 3-4 day at the plate and came around to score once.
Senior starting pitcher Stephen Dunham was tagged with the loss for NEC and dropped to 0-3 on the spring. Dunham allowed two runs (none earned) in five innings of work, while Nolan Stoney came out of the pen to work the final three innings, giving up five hits and two runs.
Philibotte, Patnode, Bryce Worth, Ryan Cote accounted for the four hits in the game for the Pilgrims.
Game 2 – Mitchell 10, NEC 3 (7 Innings)
After a quiet first inning, the Mariners pounded on NEC starter Christopher Chagnon in the second, tagging the sophomore for four runs. Senior Michael Gajda (New Britain, Conn.) and Adam Vartanian each drove in a run on a fielder's choice, while a wild pitch and an Owen Robbins sacrifice fly accounted for the other two runs.
The Mariners added two more in the fourth, highlighted by an RBI single to center field by Michael Ficocelli, before plating three more runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Justin Adorno (New Britain, Conn.) and a two-run inside the park home run off the bat of sophomore Savier Paige (Windsor, Conn.). Freshman TJ Wolf (Bayonne, N.J.) then drove in the first run of his collegiate career on a groundout in the sixth to wrap up the scoring for Mitchell.
Sophomore Thai-ler Sestokas (Danbury, Conn.) threw five scoreless innings for the Mariners and picked up his first win of the season. Freshman Guiseppie Satti (New London, Conn.) worked a scoreless inning out of the bullpen in relief of Sestokas.
Chagnon was charged with the loss after allowing 10 hits and 10 runs in six innings.
Senior AJ Desarro finished 2-3 with one RBI for the Pilgrims.