BABSON PARK, Mass. – Senior Camren Varney (Manchester, N.H.) tossed a complete game one-hitter, leading the Mitchell College baseball team past No. 9/11 Salisbury University 5-1 in NCAA Tournament action on Saturday afternoon in the Babson Park Regional at Govoni Field.
The hard throwing right hander went the distance for the second consecutive outing, surrendering one run and two walks, while striking out six. Varney also hit three batters, but allowed only two batters to reach third base all game.
Senior third baseman Jack Hayes (New Milford, Conn.) led the Mariners at the plate, finishing 3-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Playing in his first game since April 23rd, sophomore Savier Paige (Wethersfield, Conn.) delivered a run scoring base hit to snap a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning, while Cole Lalli (Coventry, Conn.), Michael Ficocelli (North Providence, R.I.), Chas Terni Jr. (Montville, Conn.), Michael Gajda (New Britain, Conn.), and Thai-ler Sestokas (Danbury, Conn.) finished with one hit apiece for Mitchell in the win.
After Varney retired the side in order in the top of the first, the Sea Gulls threatened the following inning and got runners on first and second after two batters were hit by pitches. The hard throwing righty escaped the jam, however, inducing a fly out to centerfield and recording a strikeout to keep the game scoreless.
The Sea Gulls again got a man to second base in the top of the third after Andrew Kell drew a walk and stole second, but again Varney worked his way out of trouble by getting the next two batters to fly out. The first batter to advance past second base came in the top of the fifth when Max Ehrhardt walked with two outs, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Varney stranded the runner 90 feet from home by punching out Kell, who watched an outside fastball get called for a strike.
The Mariners led off the bottom of the fifth with three straights singles by Jack Hayes, Chas Terni Jr., and Michael Gajda, setting up a bases loaded situation with no outs. Savier Paige then opened the scoring by lacing a run scoring single to centerfield, and Thai-ler Sestokas followed that up with an RBI groundout to give the Mariners a 2-0 edge.
Mitchell grew their lead in the sixth when Jack Hayes ripped a two-run bases loaded single up the middle off Salisbury relief pitcher Shawn Rosemond, and an error by the Sea Gulls followed which allowed the fifth run to cross home for the Mariners.
Following two more scoreless frames, Varney's no-hit bid was spoiled when Danny Sheeler led off the inning with a single, and eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dom Frigola. Salisbury starter Garrett Beaver was charged with his third loss of the spring after surrendering two runs in four innings of work.
With an overall record of 34-11, the Mariners have matched the program's all time win total, and will need just one victory on Sunday to advance to the Super Regional Round for the first time in program history. Mitchell is slated to face the winner of Saturday's elimination game between the Sea Gulls (29-10) and UMass Dartmouth (25-19-1), who knocked off host Babson earlier on the second day of the tournament.