Baseball Chases GNAC Crown in Semis versus JWU Saturday

MAY 5 | 1:30 PM  LARRY MAHONEY DIAMOND STANDISH, MAINE LIVE STATS
Series Record - Suffolk Leads 37-17 Last Meeting - April 14, 2018, W, 4-2 Last Suffolk Win - Same Streak - W5 Eyes on the Game

BOSTON – The Suffolk baseball team continues its chase for the GNAC Tournament crown this weekend as the top-seeded Rams will face-off against the third-seeded Wildcats of Johnson & Wales in the semifinals Saturday, May 5 at Larry Mahoney Diamond at Saint Joseph's (Maine) in Standish, Maine.

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THE SCHEDULE

First Round – Wednesday, May 2 (Single Elimination)

GAME 1: #4 Lasell defeated #5 Norwich, 16-3
GAME 2: #3 Johnson & Wales defeated #6 Anna Maria, 27-13 

Second Round – Thursday, May 3 (Double-Elimination Begins)
GAME 3: #3 Johnson & Wales defeated #2 Saint Joseph's (Maine), 9-5
GAME 4: #1 Suffolk defeated #4 Lasell, 6-5 (10 Innings)

Semifinals – Saturday, May 5 (Hosted by Saint Joseph's (Maine))
GAME 5: #4 Lasell (Elimination Game) vs. #2 Saint Joseph's (Maine)  – 10:00 AM – Live Stats
GAME 6: #3 Johnson & Wales vs. #1 Suffolk – 1:30 PM – Live Stats
GAME 7: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6 (Elimination Game) – 5:00 PM 

Championship – Sunday, May 6 (Hosted by Saint Joseph's (Maine))
GAME 8: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 7 – 12:00 PM
GAME 9: If Necessary – 3:30 PM

LAST TIME OUT
Brady Chant hit a game-tying single in the ninth and Blasé Cormier scored on an error in the 10th to give the top-seeded Suffolk baseball team a 6-5 victory over fourth-seeded Lasell under the lights at East Boston Memorial Park in the second round of the GNAC Tournament Thursday night. 

MORE READING: Baseball Capitalizes on Lasell Error in 10th in GNAC Tournament

RAMS RUNDOWN
Suffolk (22-16) kept Ram Nation on the edge of its seats Thursday night in the GNAC second round against Lasell as it trailed all the way until the bottom of the ninth before Brady Chant's RBI single made it a new ball game. The Rams came out on top in the home half of the 10th thanks to a Lasers error, advancing the blue-and-gold to the semifinals. 

Chant's game-tying single represented what the senior has done all year for Suffolk. The centerfielder has buoyed Suffolk's offense on a .358 average with 53 hits, 30 RBI, 33 runs and 22 stolen bags. Seth Coiley and Blasé Cormier have also been consistent contributors for the Rams. Coiley, who is hitting .331, has 41 hits, 18 RBI and 25 runs scored, while Cormier brings in 39 hits and 22 RBI on a .307 connection rate at the plate to go along with 21 runs scored. 

Kevin Sinatra (2.65 ERA, 54.1 IP, 32 Ks) started on the hill on the tourney for the Rams, who have more than enough options on the mound for the remainder of the postseason. Charles Batchelder is the most experienced arm in blue-and-gold with 57.1 innings under his belt with the junior owning an ERA of 3.61 with 35 strikeouts. Mark Fusco and Tyler Zell each boast a sub 3.00 ERA with the former coming in at 2.68 and the latter boasting an ERA of 2.25. Fusco has seen 43.2 frames and has sat down 34 hitters, while Zell has worked 36.0 innings and punched out 26 batters. Ryan Pordes (5.29 ERA, 51.0 IP, 36 Ks) completes the starting Rams rotation.   

SUFFOLK IN THE GNAC TOURNEY
In its 19th straight GNAC appearances, the Rams advanced out of the quarterfinals into the winner's bracket semis for the seventh consecutive season and 12th time overall. 

Suffolk, who needed extra time in the league's postseason for just the fourth time (4-0), improved to 12-2 in the GNAC Tourney under Anthony Del Prete and 48-21 in the conference championship overall. 

The three-time defending GNAC Champion looks to make its 12th straight appearance in the conference championship contest and 16th trip overall.

WILDCAT WAYS
Johnson & Wales (24-16) has had a quite the postseason run this far with an everlasting 27-13 win over Anna Maria in the play-in game before upsetting second-seeded Saint Joseph's (Maine) 9-5 in the quarterfinals. 

Raimiel Rodriguez leads the way at the plate with a .379 average that has produced 34 RBI on 53 hits to go with 30 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. Colby Greenhalgh, who hits, .375, has provided 48 hits, 39 RBI and 27 runs, while Joe Maracic has added 44 hits, 15 RBI and 24 runs with a .333 batting average.

Keith Grant and James Smiegocki are the top two arms for the Wildcats. Grant clocks in with a 4.25 ERA through 80.1 innings featuring 69 strikeouts. Smiegocki sports an ERA of 4.18 in 60.1 frames with 65 Ks. Rich Marshall adds depth on the mound with the senior holding a 4.15 ERA through 43.1 innings and 45 punchouts.

INSIDE THE SERIES
Suffolk swept the Wildcats in the regular season to extend its win straight to five consecutive contests over JWU, to take a 37-17 all-time series lead.

WE MEET AGAIN
Ryan Pordes was nearly perfect in game on as the senior RHP through a two-hit, no-walk, five-strikeout, shutout to lead the Rams to a 5-0 victory. In the nightcap, the Rams held onto a four-run, first-inning lead and kept JWU from a late comeback to take game two, 4-2, and secure the series sweep.

MORE READING: Pordes Throws Complete-Game Shutout, Baseball Trips Up JWU, 5-0 | Baseball Holds Off JWU, 4-2, in Nightcap to Take Series

SUFFOLK VS. JWU IN GNAC TOURNEY
The Rams and Wildcats are familiar foes in the GNAC Tournament, having met 16 times including the 2015 championship series and last year's title bout. Overall, Suffolk is 12-4 versus the Wildcats in the league's postseason and has taken down JWU in the last three meetings in the conference tournament. 

EYES ON THE GAME

ON DECK
The winner of Saturday's showdown automatically advances to the GNAC Championship series set for Sunday, May 5. The losing team will vie for its spot in the title game against the winner of the #4 Lasell - #2 Saint Joseph's (Maine) game, which has a 10:00 a.m. first pitch.