Baseball Season Ends with GNAC Tournament Loss to JWU
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#1 Johnson & Wales (RI) | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
|
#2 Mitchell | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The second-seeded Mitchell College baseball team saw their season come to an end in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship Series on Saturday afternoon, falling to top-seeded Johnson & Wales University, 5-2, at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex.
After dropping the opening game of the best-of-three series against the Wildcats on Thursday, the Mariners entered play on Saturday needing to collect two victories to repeat as GNAC Champions. JWU had other plans, however, as Brett Nickerson tossed a complete game, scattering just two runs and seven hits, while striking out eight.
Sophomore Chas Terni Jr. (Montville, Conn.) had a pair of hits for the Mariners, including a solo home run and an RBI single. Senior Michael Gajda (New Britain, Conn.) and junior Kenneth Miller Jr. (New London, Conn.) each also had two hits, while Miller Jr. scored the second Mitchell run.
The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead, plating a pair of runs in the top of the first off Mitchell's Chris Gibbs (New Britain, Conn.) on an RBI groundout by Jeff Valdez Jimenes and a run scoring infield single off the bat of Zachary Amero. Mitchell answered with one run the next inning, as Chas Terni Jr. laced his conference-leading 11th home run of the season over the right field fence, but JWU countered by scoring three runs in the top of the third on a bases clearing double down the right field line by Ryan St. Jean to pull ahead, 5-1.
The Mariners got one run back in the bottom of the fourth when Terni Jr. singled up the middle, scoring Kenneth Miller Jr., but they were unable to produce any more offense against JWU's towering right-handed pitcher.
Ryan St. Jean went 2-4 with a double and three RBI for the Wildcats, while Owen Davis and Zachary Amero also had two hits apiece.
Senior righty Chris Gibbs got the start on the bump for Mitchell and lasted three innings, allowing five runs, four of them earned. Junior Jacob Quiles (Wallkill, N.Y.) came on in relief and worked six innings of three-hit ball, striking out seven.
The Mariners conclude their season with an overall record of 25-18. The Wildcats (28-13) earn an automatic berth into the Division III NCAA Baseball Tournament and will find out their fate on Monday, March 12, at 12:00 pm.
Additionally, Kenneth Miller Jr., Chas Terni Jr., and sophomore Chase Donahue (Shirley, Mass.) earned spots on the All-Tournament Team.
