Posted: May 01, 2026
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Suffolk baseball wrapped up its 2026 campaign with a 17-10 Conference of New England (CNE) setback to Johnson & Wales in the nightcap of a doubleheader Friday afternoon at Scotts Miracle Gro Athletic Complex Baseball Field.
THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 10 | Johnson & Wales 17
RECORDS: Suffolk (8-29, 4-14 CNE) | Johnson & Wales (15-24, 6-12 CNE)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Base hits helped Suffolk start with a 1-0 lead in the first. Jack Mihalchik opened the game with a single through the right side, two batters later, Sam Armbruster followed suit with a single to short before Luke Thornton's base hit through the left side brought Mihalchik in.
- Shayne King got the second stanza underway with a solo shot to right field to double the distance in Suffolk's favor. A Wildcats' error with two outs allowed the inning to continue and put Mihalchik on second. Colin Flynn's single up the middle plated Mihlachik to extend the edge to 3-0 with 1.5 innings in the books.
- That two-run offensive output by the blue-and-gold was matched by JWU in the home half of the second to make it a one-run game. That deficit did not last long as the Wildcats flipped the script in their favor with another two-run inning in the bottom of the third to put the Rams in a 4-3 hole.
- The teams traded three runs in the fourth to turn it into a 7-6 game. Suffolk used a walk, two singles, one sac fly and one JWU error in its scoring rally. Flynn, Cole Hilliard and Thornton collected one RBI in that stretch.
- Things became lopsided for the Wildcats in the fifth as they rattled off five runs to lengthen their lead to 12-6.
- The blue-and-gold took advantage of a Johnson & Wales fielding mishap to trim the deficit to five in the top of the sixth. Armbruster walked and used a Thornton ground to the pitcher to move 90 feet before he put on his running shoes when Sebastian Lampert singled to first. On that play, JWU's first baseman over threw the bag, which allowed Armbruster to come around and score.
- The ground the Rams made up was quickly erased as the Wildcats added one run of their own in the bottom of the sixth to make it a half dozen margin once again, 13-7.
- The back-and-forth carried into the seventh as both teams put up three runs once again. Suffolk's scoring saw one-run base hits from Hilliard and Thornton and a fielder's choice in which Armbruster picked up one RBI.
- A three-up, three-down top of the eighth for the blue-and-gold was followed by another one-run frame for the Wildcats in the home half of the eighth that extended the matters to 17-10.
- Evan LaMothe retired the side in the top of the ninth to seal Suffolk's final outing of the season.
PITCHERS PICTURE
- Ben Cassavoy started and took the loss for Suffolk as he allowed four runs on three hits and two walks with one strikeout in 3.0 innings
- Jonathan Marcotte (3 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 1 K), Nick Rubin (5 R, 2 H, 3 BB), Joey Smith (1 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K), Jack La Natra (3 R, 3 H, 1 BB) and Jack Raimo (1 R, 2 H, 2 K) all threw 1.0 inning of relief for the Rams.
- Brett Nickerson picked up the decision behind a six-run, four-earned, 10-hit, one-walk, five-strikeout performance over 5.1 innings.
- Michael Cobb (1.2 IP, 4 R, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K) and Dylan Young (1.0 IP) came out of the pen for the Wildcats.
- LaMothe closed the contest with a hitless, scoreless effort that featured a pair of punchouts.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Thornton brought in three runs on two hits and one sac fly.
- Flynn and Hilliard had two RBI, two hits and one run apiece.
- Armbruster added two hits, one RBI, one run, one walk and one stolen base.
- Mihalchik scored four runs to go along with two hits, one walk and one stolen base.
- King recorded one hit, a homer, one RBI and one run.
- Noah Greco registered two hits and two runs.
- Lampert logged one hit.
NOTEWORTHY
- King homered for the first time in his collegiate career.
- Mihalchik matched a career-high four runs scored.
- Greco tied a personal-best two runs scored.