Grand Slam by Miller Jr. Completes Comeback Win for Baseball over Cardinals
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wesleyan (Conn.) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
|
Mitchell | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | X | 12 | 9 | 4 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – Kenneth Miller Jr. (New London, Conn.) belted a go-ahead gram slam with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning on Wednesday afternoon, as the Mitchell College baseball team rallied from an eight run deficit to defeat Wesleyan University, 12-9, in non-conference action at Alumni Field.
The Mariners had already scored four runs off Wesleyan relief pitching when the junior catcher stepped to the plate with two away, the bases full, and his team trailing, 9-8. Miller Jr. then sent his team into a frenzy, sending a pitch by Lucca Frattone sailing over the fence in centerfield.
Miller Jr. finished the day 3-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. Sophomores Chase Donahue (Shirley, Mass.) and Chas Terni Jr. (Montville, Conn.) had two hits apiece, while Donahue drove in three runs and Terni Jr. two of his own.
The Cardinals went ahead by two runs in the top of the first, as Ernie Little reached on an error to lead off and came around to score on an sacrifice fly off the bat of Jonah Timmons, before Luke LaSaracina laced an RBI single to right center three batters later. A run scoring single by Jake Acker gave Wesleyan a 3-0 lead in the top of the second, but the Mariners got one back in the bottom of the frame when Chase Donahue drove in junior Nicholas Bracale (East Haven, Conn.) on a single to the shortstop.
Wesleyan padded their lead with an additional run in both the fourth and fifth inning, before plating four in the sixth to build a 9-1 advantage. A walk with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth by Bracale gave the Mariners their second run of the day, while a run scoring fielder's choice by Chas Terni Jr. and an RBI double by Donahue made it a 9-4 ballgame heading into the seventh inning.
The Mariners mounted their comeback in the bottom of the eighth, scoring their first four runs on an RBI single by Terni Jr., an RBI fielder's choice by Donahue, a bases loaded hit by pitch taken by freshman Ryan Dennis (Enfield, Conn.), and a bases loaded walk by freshman Max Netto (Derby, Conn.). After sophomore Michael Ficocelli (North Providence, R.I.) struck out for the inning's second out, Miller Jr. stepped to the plate and sealed the comeback with his fifth long ball of the season.
Freshman Evan Lipski (Melbourne, Fla.) picked up the first win of his collegiate career, tossing two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Sophomore Ethan Chavez (New London, Conn.) retired the side in order in the top of the ninth for his first save of the spring.
Luke LaCaracina had a team-high three hits for the Cardinals, while Jonah Timmons was 1-3 with a home run, three RBI, and a run scored. Sebastian Fuentes was charged with the loss and was credited with three runs in just one third of an inning pitched.
The Mariners (13-13, 5-1 GNAC) are back in action on Friday, April 4, with a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) game against Rivier University at home with a 3:30 pm first pitch. The Cardinals (9-10, 2-1 NESCAC) return to conference play on Friday, April 4, with a doubleheader at Middlebury College.
