Baseball Swept to End Regular Season
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mitchell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
|
Saint Joseph (Conn.) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 1 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mitchell | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 2 |
|
Saint Joseph (Conn.) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 0 |
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Mitchell College baseball team closed out the regular season with a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader at the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Saturday, falling 6–5 in the opener before dropping game two, 17–7.
The Mariners (24-12 16-4 GNAC) close out the regular season and own the top seed in the upcoming GBAC Baseball Championship Tournament.
Game 1 – USJ 6, Mitchell 5
The Blue Jays struck early, taking a 2–0 lead in the first inning on a two-run home run by Jack Kane and adding another run in the third to go in front 3–0.
Mitchell responded in a big way in the fourth inning, erupting for five runs off Blue Jays starter Brandon Cahill to take the lead.
Freshman Angel Rodriguez Cruz (Cidra, Puerto Rico) delivered a two-run double to tie the game, and senior Johnny Brucato (Cheshire, Conn.) followed with a two-run double of his own to give the Mariners a 5–3 advantage. An earlier run in the frame came home on a wild pitch as Mitchell capitalized on its opportunities.
Saint Joseph answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth and then evened the score in the fifth on an unearned run. The Blue Jays pushed across the go-ahead run in the seventh on an RBI single by Sam Balducci to secure the victory.
Rodriguez Cruz and Brucato each drove in two runs to lead the Mitchell offense, while junior Michael Ficocelli (North Providence, R.I.) recorded a pair of hits and scored once.
On the mound, junior Patrick Mitchell (Garristown, Ireland) started and allowed four runs on six hits over 3.0 innings. Junior Ethan Chavez (New London, Conn.) followed with 3.0 innings in relief, surrendering two runs (both unearned) on three hits.
Game 2 – USJ 17, Mitchell 7
Saint Joseph jumped out early with three runs in the first and added two more in the second to take control. Mitchell answered with a three-run third inning, highlighted by a two-run home run from junior Christopher Piscione (Cranston, R.I.), and later pulled within 7–5 with a pair of runs in the fourth.
However, the Blue Jays responded with six runs over the fifth and sixth innings to break the game open. Mitchell added two runs in the seventh on a two-run single by Braiden Alaimo (Enfield, Conn.), but the Blue Jays tacked on four more late runs to seal the victory.
Piscione led the Mariners offensively with two hits, including a home run, and three RBI. Michael Ficocelli added two hits, while Brucato and Angel Rodriguez Cruz each drove in a run. Mitchell finished with 13 hits in the contest.
For Saint Joseph, Joseph Fritz paced the offense with four hits, including a home run, and two RBI, while Jack Kane drove in three runs. JJ Fox added two RBI, and both Dom Scalia and Ryan Shaw contributed two RBI apiece in a balanced attack.
On the mound, Ethan Slowik earned the win in relief for the Blue Jays, allowing two runs over 2.2 innings while striking out three. Starter Aaron LaRose allowed five runs on nine hits over 4.0 innings before turning the game over to the bullpen.
