Lapolla, Mendez Lead Baseball To 6-4 ECAC Victory

The Suffolk University Baseball team defeated Salve Regina University 6-4 in the ECAC Division-III New England Championship semifinal round. Sophomore Jon Lapolla (Providence, R.I.) hit a three run homer to help pace Suffolk while senior Jhonneris Mendez (Boston, Mass.) earned his first save of the season going the final three innings.

Suffolk will now advance to Sunday's championship game in hopes of the program's second ECAC Championship as they take on host and top-seeded Roger Williams University at noon.

Suffolk opened the game scoring a run in the first half inning of play. Senior Mac Jacobson (Norfolk, Mass.) led the game off drawing a hit by pitch. He would go first to third as freshman Matt Brenner (Eliot, Me.) singled to right with the man in motion and two strikes. Jacobson would then come home to score the game's first run as Brenner tried to advance to second in Suffolk's next at bat on a ball in the dirt as the throw through sailed into the outfield.

Salve would even the game in the bottom half of the second as sophomore Ryan Sweenor (South Kingstown, R.I.) led the inning off with an infield single. He would advance to second on a balk as an infield error later in the inning would give the Seahawks runners on the corners with one out. Junior Daniel Donohue (West Newbury, N.Y.) would pick up Salve's first RBI of the afternoon as he grounded into a fielder's choice to plate Sweenor to even things a one run a piece.

Lapolla would put Suffolk up for good in the third as his three run blast made it a 4-1 game. Junior JC Collette (Amesbury, Mass.) and senior Devan Jones (Roslindale, Mass.) would each single with two outs to keep things alive. Lapolla would then connect of his team leading fifth home run, a blast on a hanging curve ball to left put Suffolk ahead.

Suffolk would tack on an insurance run in the fifth as senior Mike Muse (Milton, Mass.) led the inning off reaching first as his squibber was misplayed in front of the plate. After a sacrifice bunt, Jacobson would reach safely on an infield hit advancing Muse to third. He would come around to score as Brenner lifted a fly ball to right to bring home Suffolk's fifth run.

Salve would make things interesting in the seventh as they were able to score three runs. Donohue would get things going as he reached on an infield single before advancing to second on another balk. A walk to senior Anthony Conte (Georgetown, Mass.) and a base hit by sophomore Ryan Kelly (Waldwick, N.J.) would load things up with nobody out. Junior Sean Becker (Richmond, Va.) would then single up the middle to bring home the first run of the inning and chase senior starter Jonathan Richard (North Reading, Mass.) from the game. Mendez was summoned in from the bullpen in a big jam with no outs and the bases loaded. His first pitch was a wild one bringing home another Salve run. Senior Dominic Di Sano (Central Falls, R.I.) would then hit a sharp ground ball to short that took a bad hop to bring home another run making it a 5-4 game. From there Mendez would retire the side in order to escape the jam as Suffolk left the inning with a one run edge.

Suffolk would tack on some insurance in the top of the eighth as junior Justin Knight (Hackettstown, N.J.) singled to start the inning, stole second and would later come around to score on a wild pitch.

Richard earned his seventh victory (7-3) of the season going the first six innings as he was charged with four runs, three earned while allowing six hits and striking out one.

Mendez recorded his first save of the season pitching the final three frames. Once he settled in he retired nine in a row to lockdown the victory striking out three hitters.

Lapolla was 2-for-5 on the afternoon, while Jacobson was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

The win moves Suffolk to a 25-14-1 overall record on the season.