Suffolk Baseball Seeking Second Straight GNAC Championship Sunday Versus Saint Joseph's

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - After No. 4 seed and predetermined host Johnson & Wales University was eliminated by third-seeded Lasell College on a walk-off on Saturday in the GNAC Baseball Tournament, second-seeded Suffolk University cruised past top seed Saint Joseph's College of Maine, 10-0, to earn its spot in the championship on Sunday. Now in the driver's seat, Suffolk will seek its second straight conference title in tomorrow in Providence and be the home team at 12:00 PM.

Saint Joseph's went on to defeat Lasell, 2-0, in the third and final contest of the day to oust the Lasers from the tournament. Sunday's championship meeting will be eighth time Suffolk and Saint Joseph's meet for the GNAC crown since the 2008 season. St. Joe's has come away with six of those previous seven GNAC championships to earn NCAA berths.

#3 LASELL 5, #4 JWU 4
A Brett Sherron single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Lasell College baseball team to a 5-4 victory over Johnson & Wales University in a GNAC Tournament elimination game on Saturday. The Lasers battled back from a 4-0 deficit. 

Lasell improved to 21-16. The Lasers will take on the loser of the St. Joseph's of Maine and Suffolk contest in another elimination game later on Saturday. JWU ends its season with a 24-16 mark.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, LC's Tyler Flaherty singled up the middle then moved to third on a single by Dom Mascolo. Sherron – who came in as a pinch hitter in the seventh - delivered a single down the right field line off JWU reliever Brandon Budlong to score Flaherty and keep the Lasers alive in the GNAC Tournament.

Daniel Petr came on in the seventh for Lasell and threw 2.1 innings to pick up the victory. He improved to 3-1. Budlong was saddle with the loss, dropping his record to 1-2. Wildcats starter Brandon Rainville gave up four runs, three earned, with nine strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work.

Lasell out-hit Johnson & Wales, 15-10, with Dan Dagnon and Flaherty leading the way with a trio of hits. The Wildcats had three players with a pair of hits, led by shortstop Lou Umberto.

Johnson & Wales got the game started with four runs in the top of the first against Lasell starter Gary Trottier. Umberto hit a double to left field that scored Rob Ballinger then came around to score himself on a single from Carlos Sanabria. Jordan Pilarski finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly to plate Dave Matthews.

The Lasers chipped away for a run in the second and third innings. With one out in the second, Flaherty walked, moved up to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single from Mascolo.  Lasell had two runners on in the third but Ranville picked Evan Michalek off at second. Gagnon stole second and came around to cross the plate on an RBI single to left field from Wes Hurty. 

After Petr got Lasell out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh, the Laser responded by scoring two runs to tie the game. A balk moved Gagnon to third and he scored on Hurty's second RBI single of the game. Flaherty raced down the first base line to beat the throw on a potential inning-ending double play. Hurty, who moved up to third on the play, crossed the plate with the tying run on a passed ball.

Courtesy of JWU Athletics Communications.

#1 SUFFOLK 10, #2 SAINT JOSEPH'S MAINE 0
Kyle Turner hurled a complete game six-hit shutout as the Suffolk University Baseball team defeated Saint Joseph's College (Me.) 10-0 in Saturday's Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) semifinals.

With the victory Suffolk advances to a tenth consecutive conference championship game in hopes of claiming the program's sixth title and first-ever back to back NCAA appearance.

Suffolk opened the scoring in the top of the third as Sean Cameron doubled down the right field line with one out bringing home Matt Brenner from first for the game's first run. Following a groundout to short to move over Cameron, Rob Marks would reach on an infield miscue brining home another run staking Suffolk to the two run advantage. 

A pair of walks with one out in the fourth followed by a bloop single to left off the bat of Kevin Belskie would load the bases before Brenner added a sacrifice fly to center bringing home another Suffolk run.

Suffolk would tack on two more in the fifth when Brady Chant opened the inning with an infield single. Marks would then lay down a sacrifice bunt back to the mound as the Monks tried to get the lead out at second. An errant throw into the outfield would roll all the way to the centerfield wall sending Chant home and Marks over to third. Later in the inning Marks would scamper home on a wild pitch making it 5-0 midway through the contest.

Brenner would add his second RBI of the day in the sixth when his base hit up the middle plated Drew Carter who opened the frame with a single of his own. Later in the inning, following an intentional walk to Chant, Marks would hit into a fielder's choice with the bases loaded scoring another run before Brenner scored Suffolk's second run of the day via the wild pitch to cap off the inning at 8-0.

Julien Plana would add an RBI pinch hit single in the ninth before a sacrifice fly to right from Carter later in the inning brought home another run capping the 10-run day for the Suffolk offense.

Chant finished the day 2-for-4 with two runs scored including a double in the ninth. Kevin Belskie also doubled in the game as he was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Both Brenner and Marks each scored a pair of runs.

Suffolk totaled nine hits in the victory.

The story of the day was Turner however who improves to a 4-2 record with the win. The senior righty punched out six hitters needing 126 pitches in the complete game effort. 

The Monks were able to load the bases in the ninth posing a threat to spoil the shutout but Turner would retire the final out on a shallow fly to right to end the game for his second complete game of the season.

Courtesy of Suffolk Athletics Communications.

#2 SAINT JOSEPH'S MAINE 2, #3 LASELL 0
A masterful pitching performance by St. Joseph's College hurler Travis Godbout propelled the Monks to Sunday's GNAC Baseball Tournament Championship game. SJC eliminated Lasell College, 2-0, on Saturday.

The Monks improved to 24-13 and will face Suffolk at 12 p.m. at Johnson & Wales University. The Rams beat SJC, 10-0, during a winner's bracket game earlier in the day. Lasell finished its season with a 21-17 mark. 

The senior right-hander threw seven-shutout innings, allowing only two hits. He struck out five batters and retired 15-straight Lasell hitters in a row. Corey McNamara pitched the eighth and ninth innings to get his seventh save of the year.

All the offense the Monks would need came with two outs in the seventh. Joey Murphy picked up a walk then moved to second on a single by Taylor Reuillard. Nic Lops and Jameson Collins hit back-to-back singles to score Murphy and Reuillard.

Lops, Collins and Max McCoomb accounted for six of the eight SJC hits as they had two apiece. Dom Mascolo was the only Lasell hitter to reach base more than once as he had a single in the second and walked in the seventh.

Lasell had a strong pitching performance from starter Jake Malone as he worked six scoreless innings and only surrendered five hits with three strikeouts and five walks. Reliever Casey Johnson took the loss, giving up both runs in two innings of work.

Courtesy of JWU Athletics Communications.

First Round (single elimination)
Game 1: #3 Lasell 10, #6 Rivier 4 | BOX
Game 2: #4 Johnson & Wales 7, #5 Albertus Magnus 0 | BOX

Second Round (double-elim begins)
Game 3: #2 Suffolk 7, #3 Lasell 4 | BOX
Game 4: #1 Saint Joseph's Maine 8, #4 Johnson & Wales 1 | BOX

Semifinals - Saturday, May 7 (Hosted by Johnson & Wales) 
Game 5: #3 Lasell 5, #4 Johnson & Wales 4 | BOX (JWU eliminated)
Game 6: #2 Suffolk 10, #1 Saint Joseph's Maine 0 | BOX
Game 7: #1 Saint Joseph's Maine 2, #3 Lasell 0 | BOX (Lasell eliminated) 

Championship - Sunday, May 8 (Hosted by Johnson & Wales) 
Game 8: #1 Saint Joseph's Maine vs. #2 Suffolk - 12:00 PM
Game 9: if necessary - First pitch 30 mins after completion of Game 8