Baseball Sweeps Anna Maria in GNAC Action
Senior hurlers dominate as offense opens up in conference wins Thursday.
The Suffolk University Baseball team swept a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough.
Seniors Josh Desai (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Frank Tierney (Hyde Park, Mass.) and Paul Pollano (North Andover, Mass.) combined to allow just three hits over 14 innings on the mound as the Suffolk hurlers combined on back to back shutouts. Junior Jon Lapolla (Providence, R.I.) was 4-for-6 with two doubles and a homer to lead the offense.
Game One: Suffolk 9 Anna Maria 0
Desai dominated in the opener as the southpaw punched out nine hitters in the complete game shutout. Desai allowed an infield hit in the first inning and a base hit in the seventh and issued just one base on balls as he faced two hitters over the minimum in the seven inning contest.
After a slow start, sophomore Luke Ronchi (Randolph, N.J.) drove in the game's first two runs as he singled to shallow left to give Suffolk the 2-0 lead. Sophomore Sean Cameron (Milford, Conn.) led the inning off with a hit by pitch. Sophomore BJ Neil (Lynnfield, Mass.) then reached on a bunt single. After a sacrifice bunt, junior Julien Plana (Miami, Fla.) drew a walk to load the bases. After a shallow fly out the center, Ronchi battled with two strikes before dropping in a base hit to plate both Cameron and Neil for the game's first runs.
Suffolk would add three more runs in the fourth. Lapolla would lead the inning off with a double down the left field line and came around to score later in the inning on a base hit by Cameron. Neil would send Cameron around from first to score as he doubled down the left field line. He would later come around to score in the inning on a passed ball.
In the sixth, Suffolk would continue to tack on insurance. Lapolla led the inning off hitting his first home run of the season, a towering solo shot. Suffolk would then add three more runs taking advantage of free passes as Plana drew a bases load walk, Collette took a hit by pitch to bring in another run and freshman Brady Chant (Warwick, R.I.) scored on a passed ball.
Game Two: Suffolk 5 Anna Maria 0
Freshman Nate Frederick (Worcester, Mass.) recorded the AMCATS' lone hit of the game, an infield pop up that fell in as Tierney and Pollano combined for the one hit shutout in game two, a 5-0 Suffolk victory.
Suffolk jumped out quick in the first inning as Chant opened the home half of the first with a double down the left field line. Plana then connected on his first home run of the season, a long drive over the right field fence to make it a 2-0 lead.
Suffolk would tack on three more in the fourth inning as Lapolla doubled to right with one down in the inning. He would come around to score when junior Rob Marks (Revere, Mass.) singled to left to bring him in. Cameron would then double down the line with two outs to bring home Marks before he came around to score later in the inning on a throwing error.
Lapolla and Marks each finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored.
The wins snap a three week long four game losing streak for Suffolk as they move to a 6-9 record on the year.
They will be back in action on Monday afternoon when they head to Endicott College for a 3:30pm non-conference game.