NEW LONDON, Conn. – Top-seeded Mitchell College (28-10) defeated #8 Saint Joseph's College (13-24), 8-3, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Baseball Tournament Pod A action on Friday afternoon.

PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:

With the loss, Saint Joseph's falls into the losers' bracket of the double-elimination tourney and will face #5 Anna Maria College – which suffered a 10-8 loss at the hands of #4 Colby-Sawyer College in other first-round action today - in an elimination tilt tomorrow at 8:30 AM.

Mitchell, a first year GNAC member, advances to the winners' bracket and will take on Colby-Sawyer tomorrow at 12:00 PM. As the top seed, Mitchell serves as the host for the Pod A tourney, which concludes on Sunday with the winner moving on to face the Pod B victor in a best of three series GNAC Championship with the higher seed hosting.

ON THE MOUND:

SJC sophomore starter Padraig Mac Seain (Brookline, N.H.) falls to 4-3 after giving up five runs on seven hits and five walks with five K's in six innings.

Mitchell starter Chris Gibbs improves to 8-2 on the season after allowing three runs on 11 hits and no walks with nine punchouts over eight strong innings.

OFF THE BAT:

All nine of the Monks' starters recorded at least one hit with sophomore Dylan Brander (Brookline, N.H.) leading the offense by going 3-5 with a run, a double, and two RBI. Michael Wearne (Ellington, Conn.) and Luke Stephens (Glastonbury, Conn.) registered two hits apiece in the setback.

For Mitchell, Cole Lalli was 3-4 with four runs, two doubles, two walks, and an RBI, Jack Hayes went 3-4 with a run scored, a triple, and three RBI, and Michael Ficocelli added three runs, three hits, and an RBI in five at-bats. Chas Terni, Jr. was 1-2 with three runs, a home run, three RBI, and three walks.