Providence, RI - The Suffolk University Baseball team (13-4, 3-1 GNAC) split a conference double header Saturday afternoon on the road with the Johnson & Wales Wildcats (11-11, 4-2 GNAC). The Rams were victorious in game one, 8-1 as senior Dan Delia (Boston, MA) moved to 4-0 on the mound throwing a complete game, four-hitter. Suffolk dropped game two by a score of 5-3, as they could not overcome a five run first inning by the Wildcats.
Game 1
The Rams used home runs by junior Rory Gentile (Newburyport, MA) and senior Mike Kenneally (Georgetown, MA) to cruise to a 8-1 victory over Johnson & Wales. The Wildcats got off to a quick started scoring their only run in the game in the first inning on a single by senior John Kuschman (Glastonbury, CT).
Suffolk would score eight unanswered runs as Dan Delia cruised to his fourth win of the season throwing his second complete game of 2009.
Down 1-0 in the second, senior Keith Carter (Newburyport, MA) got the inning started singling up the middle. With one out, Mike Kenneally then hit a towering home run over the left field fence for his first home run of the year to put the Rams up 2-1. The Rams tacked on another run in the third coming off the bat of Rory Gentile, as Gentile hit a hanging breaking ball deep over the left field wall for his first home run of the season.
The Rams tacked on four more runs in the sixth, highlighted by a two run single by senior Anthony Iacopucci (Medford, MA) to break the game open.
Delia finished the game striking out two, while only walking one, not allowing an earned run. Delia did not allow a Wilcats' base runner to reach second base past the first inning. Gentile finished game one going 3-4.
Game 2
Johnson & Wales took advantage of a poor performance on the mound by Suffolk starter Alex Torres (Framingham, MA) as they jumped on him for five runs in the first inning, including a grand slam by sophomore Teddy Katz (Pittsburgh, PA) to hang on to a 5-3 win in game two of Saturday's double header.
Senior Frank Nadjavestky (Avenel, NJ) started the Wildcats off with a single and came around to score on an RBI single by senior Eric Rapuano (Clinton, CT). After back to back singles by John Kuschman and sophomore Bryan Sayers (Chelmsford, MA) to load the bases, Katz connected on a slider, driving the pitch deep into left for his first home run of the year, and a 5-0 Johnson & Wales lead.
Suffolk would put pressure on Johnson & Wales the rest of the game as they banging out 10 hits, but the Rams could not find the one big hit to give them the edge. Suffolk left nine men on base in the game.
Keith Carter singled in the third bringing around Nick Travelyn to make the score 5-1. The Rams had more chances including the sixth inning, when they put runners on the corners, but Wildcats starter junior Jeff Jordan (Woodbridge, NJ) would pick up one of his four strikeouts to end the threat.
Suffolk made the game interesting in the seventh as they loaded the bases with a chance to tie the game. Sophomore Mark Addesa (Revere, MA) got the inning started lacing a double into the left center gap for the Rams. Nick Travelyn then reached on an error by Katz to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Gentile then hit a single up the middle to make it 5-2 bringing around Addesa. After retiring the next two hitters, Keith Carter picked up his second RBI of the day hitting a line drive up through the middle plating Travelyn and chasing Jordan from the game. Junior Marc Doyle (Whitman, MA) would then draw a pinch-hit walk on four pitches to load the bases. After working the count to three balls, two strikes Mike Kenneally then hit a long fly ball deep to left that would have given the Rams the lead but was pushed foul by the wind. Freshman Marc Sommerhalter (Emerson, NJ) then got Kenneally to fly out to right on the next pitch, ending the games and picking up the save.
Sophomore Jon Handy (South Burlington, VT) pitched well in relief for Suffolk. Handy pitched five innings for the Rams striking out four, only allowing one hit. Carter finished the game 3-4 with 2 RBI, while junior Bobby Barrett (Milton, MA) was 2-4.
Suffolk plays again tomorrow in a GNAC double header as they take on the Emerson College Lions. Game one will begin at noon at East Boston Stadium.