Baseball Sweeps GNAC Twinbill from Lasell

The Suffolk University Baseball team swept a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader over Lasell College on Thursday afternoon.

Freshman Tim Conroy (Arlington, Mass.) pitched a complete game five-hitter in the opener to take game one 6-1, while junior Frank Tierney (Hyde Park, Mass.) and freshman Wyatt Stanley (Placentia, Calif.) combined for a two-hitter in the nightcap for a 9-2 Suffolk victory. The Suffolk offense put out 22 hits combined in the two games as they have won six straight games and all four conference contests this season.

Game One

Sophomore Jon Lapolla (Providence, R.I.) connected on his third home run of the season, in the top of the first to push Suffolk out to an early 3-0 lead. Freshman Luke Ronchi (Randolph, N.J.) got the inning going when he doubled with one out off the left field fence, before senior Jake Cintolo (Wrentham, Mass.) drew a hit by pitch to put a pair of runners on for Suffolk. Lapolla would clear the bases hitting a towering drive down the left field line to give Suffolk the early three run edge.

Cintolo would add an RBI single in the fifth inning as part of a 2-for-3 effort in the opener. Cintolo plated senior Mac Jacobson (Norfolk, Mass.) who drew a hit by pitch to start the frame off.

Suffolk would plate two more runs in the sixth. Junior JC Collette (Amesbury, Mass.) singled to left with one out before he was lifted for freshman pinch runner BJ Neil (Lynnfield, Mass.). Neil would come around to score when junior Justin Knight (Hackettstown, N.J.) doubled him home. Jacobson would cap the inning off sending a base hit to right to bring Knight home to make it a 6-1 contest.

Conroy was solid as he went the distance to pick up his second victory of the season. The freshman southpaw fanned five hitters in the game while only issuing one walk.

Game Two

Suffolk opened the offense in game two putting together a 12-hit attack that was led by sophomore Rob Marks (Revere, Mass.) who was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored.

Collette was 2-for-4 in the nightcap as he capped off a 4-for-7 doubleheader for himself.

With the game tied at 2-2 heading into the fourth, Suffolk broke out for a trio of runs. Marks opened up the scoring a his base hit brought home Collette to give Suffolk the lead. Justin Knight would hit his second double of the day to bring home two more runs to make it a 5-2 lead.

Suffolk would tack on four more in the sixth as Marks brought home a run with another base hit single before Cintolo delivered the big blow, a two-run double to cap off the 9-2 score.

Tierney was strong needing only 72 pitches to cruise through six innings of work. He only surrendered one hit, a double over the third base bag in the first. Tierney struck out three in the game to improve to a 2-0 mark on the hill this season.

Knight finished the day with three RBI on a pair of doubles, one in each of the two games.

Suffolk's 1-2-3 of Jacobson, Ronchi and Cintolo had three hits a piece in the two games combined.

The victories improve Suffolk to a 9-7-1 mark on the year and 4-0 record in GNAC play.

They'll play back to back conference road doubleheaders this weekend. On Saturday they travel to New Balance Field in Worcester to take on Anna Maria College beginning at noon. On Sunday, Suffolk will travel to Albertus Magnus College for a noon start.