Worcester, Mass. – The Anna Maria College baseball team mounted a four-run sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie in game two to earn a split with visiting Saint Joseph's College in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) twinbill. The Monks shutout the AMCATS 3-0 in game one, while the home team scored a 5-1 win in the nightcap.
With the split the AMCATS record moves to 9-12 (3-3 GNAC) and the Monks, currently ranked 21st in NCAA Division III baseball, go to 14-6 (4-2 GNAC) on the season.
Catcher John Sullivan (Southbury, Conn.) went 2-for-5 at the plate with 2 RBI for the AMCATS while seniors Mike Guarnieri (Wallingford, Conn.) and Justin Hyland (Spencer, Mass.) each collected two hits. Brandon Normandin (Oxford, Mass.) pitched six strong innings to get the win in game two.
The Monks were led by Joe Coyne (Duxbury, Mass.) who went 2-for-7 with 2 RBI's on the day and the winning pitcher from game one, Tyler Laverriere (Biddeford, Maine), threw a complete game shutout.
GAME ONE: ANNA MARIA 0 SAINT JOSEPH'S 3
After a pair scoreless innings the Monks platted a run in the top of the third inning. Senior Sam Butts (Saco, Maine) delivered a one out single that scored teammate Alex Markakis (Lynnfield, Mass.) who had reached base on a defensive error.
Saint Joseph's added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth inning. Nic Lops (South Portland, Maine) led off the inning with a triple to left center and came home on a Coyne single to right field. Two batters later Markakis delivered a RBI single to centerfield scoring Coyne.
The AMCATS couldn't muster much offense in game one. Guarnieri, Hyland and freshman Anthony Risotti (Templeton, Mass.) each had singles but no AMCAT reached second base in the game.
Senior Kevin Wodatch(Wallingford, Conn.) suffered his third loss of the season for AMC, he went seven innings with one strikeout and allowed five hits, his counterpart Laverriere also went the distance striking out four AMCATS for his second win of the season.
GAME TWO: ANNA MARIA 5 SAINT JOSEPH'S 1
The Monks jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, capitalizing on an AMCAT error Joe Coyne poked a single to centerfield scoring Tim Beaudette (Uxbridge, Mass).
Anna Maria answered quickly in the bottom of the frame. With two out and Joe McNeil (Sutton, Mass.) and Guarnieri on first and second, Sullivan singled to center to plate McNeil and tie the game at 1-1.
The AMCATS broke the game open in the home half of the fourth inning. Justin Hyland produced a RBI single to right field scoring Wodatch who had singled to open the frame. The Monks then brought in reliever Chad Rafferty (Keene, NH) who was greeted with a Sullivan single to left field which drove in Guarnieri, who had been intentional walked. Hyland scored on a Monks miscue and freshman Julian Diaz (Providence, Mass.) pushed an RBI single through the left side to extend the lead to 5-1.
Sophomore Normandin pitched 6 full inning for the AMCATS allowing just the one run on four hits and a strikeout, while Phil Weihn pitched a solid inning in relief.
Both teams are in action tomorrow, Anna Maria will host Albertus Magnus College at Noon at Gaskill Field for a GNAC doubleheader. The Monks are headed to Campanelli Stadium for a nine inning match-up with UMASS-Boston, game time in 1:00pm.
COURTESY OF ANNA MARIA COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
