The Suffolk University Baseball team (20-19 overall) advanced to the finals in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament on Sunday before falling to top seeded St. Joseph's College (29-11 overall), 8-6 to wrap up a dramatic four-game weekend.

The third-seeded Rams opened up the double elimination tournament on Friday afternoon at Pierce Memorial Stadium in East Providence, Rhode Island to take on the second-seeded Johnson & Wales Wildcats (21-20-1). Suffolk would drop the opener of the tournament, 8-7 with the help of a controversial call in a four run sixth inning for the Wildcats.

In Friday's opener the Rams jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top half of the first inning as junior K.C. McCarthy (Concord, Mass.) drew a lead off walk to start the game. Freshman Jake Cintolo (Wrentham, Mass.) would follow him with a single up the middle, before freshman Devan Jones (Roslindale, Mass.) laid down a sacrifice bunt to give the Rams two runners in scoring position with just one out. The Rams got on the board on a Wildcats error, before senior Mark Annese (Winchester, Mass.) plated the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to left field.

The Wildcats would answer with a run in each of the first two innings as sophomore Zach Boyes (West Warwick, R.I.) and senior Nick Alosco (Mahopac, N.Y.) each had RBI singles.

Suffolk would go up 4-1 in the third inning as junior Stephen Schultz (Salem, N.H.) singled up the middle to bring Jones home as the Rams regained the lead. Sophomore Chris Stanley (Orange County, Calif.) would add a double down the left field line later in the inning to once again give the Rams a two-run spread. The Rams would continue to score in the middle innings as they brought a run home in the fifth as Stanley took a hit by pitch with the bases loaded and then Cintolo collected his second hit of the day rifling a ball through the middle to plate senior Nick Travelyn (Bedford, N.H.) as the Rams built their lead to 6-3.

Things would get ugly however in the bottom half of the sixth as Johnson & Wales managed to score four runs on two plays without the ball ever leaving the infield. After singles by senior Bryan Sayers (Chelmsford, Mass.) and freshman Jake Dickerson (Garnet Valley, Pa.), sophomore Tyler Newell (Westerly, R.I.) would load the bases on a bunt single to third. Alosco would then draw a bases loaded walk to plate the inning's first run. Then things would get interesting. Senior Matt Yaeger (Glendale, Ariz.) would ground into a fielder's choice to first base as the Rams would get the lead out at home, however as they tried to turn the 3-2-3 double play the throw would sail over the baserunner and into right field clearing the bases and giving the Wildcats their first run of the game. Head Coach Cary McConnell would come out to argue the play that the runner interfered running into the base line to cause the errant throw but would be ejected from the game. Suffolk would escape further damage that inning but would leave the sixth inning trailing 7-6.

The Rams answered though in the top half of the seventh evening the game at seven runs as Travelyn connected on a two out single to left to plate freshman Michael Muse (Milton, Mass.).

The Wildcats would score the game winning run in the bottom of the eighth after the Rams once again almost escaped danger. Nick Alosco once again got thing started for the Wildcats as the senior second baseman led the inning off with a double to right center. After the Wildcats could not bunt him over to third senior Alex Torres (Framingham, Mass.) induced two ground ball outs that would keep the go-ahead run from moving to third base. With two outs disaster once again struck the Rams as senior Teddy Katz (Pittsburgh, Pa.) hit what appeared to be the inning ending out, but the throw sailed past the first base bag bringing the go-ahead run home.

Suffolk would threaten in the ninth as back-to-back walks to Annese and Schultz would put the go-ahead run on base, but the Rams were unable to capitalize as the Wildcats defense tightened getting the lead out on a bunt play and then junior Chris DePalma (Taunton, Mass.) got two flyouts to end the game and earn his fifth save of the season.

Junior Marc Sommerhalter (Emerson, N.J.) moved to 6-0 on the mound in 2011 for Johnson & Wales pitching one inning of scoreless relief. Torres took the loss in game one as he allowed eight runs (four earned) in eight innings of work.

The loss moved the Rams into the loser's bracket as they went into the weekend tournament at Larry Maheney Diamond on the campus of St. Joseph's College in Standish, Maine. The Rams would take on fourth seeded Lasell College (21-15 overall) in the morning elimination game. After falling behind 4-0 in two innings of play the Rams would eight unanswered runs in their last five at bats for a 10-6 victory.

Suffolk sent sophomore Mitch Monke (Springfield, Ohio) to the mound on Saturday. Monke battled through early trouble and cruised through the final five innings to move to 4-2 on the mound for the Rams.

Lasell would jump out to an early 3-0 lead in their first at-bat as freshman Christopher Pittman (Brockton, Mass.) delivered a bases clearing double to left center with two outs to put the Lasers on top early. Lasell added another run in the second inning as sophomore Bobby Stachura (Middletown, Conn.) and junior Joshua Sullivan (Rockland, Mass.) connected on consecutive doubles.

The Rams would score their first run of the game in the third inning as Chris Stanley opened the inning off with a triple into the left centerfield gap. Nick Travelyn brought him into scoring singling down the left field line.

The Lasers would grab their last two runs of the game taking advantage of more Suffolk miscues as freshman Billy Uberti (Newton, Mass.) came around to score on a botched double play. Junior Carlton Lentini (Wilmington, Mass.) then hit a sacrifice fly to left field to give the Lasers the 6-1 edge after three and a half innings of play.

Suffolk would come back strong scoring three times in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Senior Andrew Babb (Ashland, Mass.) led the inning off with a double to right center. Mark Annese would then make the momentum swing into the favor of the Rams as he connected on his first home of the season hitting a line drive over the left field wall. With two outs in the inning, Muse would continue the Rams offense singling up the middle before Travelyn doubled to left. With the pressure mounting, Muse would come around to score on a balk by Lasers' pitcher Billy Uberti to cut the deficit to 6-4.

The Rams got their second home run of the day to lead off the fifth inning as Devan Jones turned on a fastball crushing it to left for his team leading fourth home run of the season. Jones would go 3-for-5 with four RBI in the early game on Saturday leading the 13-hit Rams barrage.

Jones would again strike in the seventh, this time evening the game at six as he doubled home Jake Cintolo who started the inning with a single and then stole second to move into scoring position. Babb would move Jones over to third base with a bunt down the first base line and Annese would give the Rams their first lead of the day, plating Jones with a sacrifice fly to left field and give the Rams the 7-6 edge.

Jones would give the Rams some insurance in the eighth plating two more runs with a single and would then score on a Lasers outfield error.

Monke struck out four in the complete game effort for the Rams allowing four earned runs on 10 hits.

Saturday morning's win set up a rematch for the Rams with the Wildcats who were forced into the losers bracket with a 4-0 loss to St. Joseph's College.

This time Suffolk would handle Johnson & Wales with ease as sophomore Matt Sliney (Brockton, Mass.) pitched a complete game four hitter to guide the Rams to a 7-2 victory.

The win marked the 400^th career win at Suffolk for Head Coach Cary McConnell in his 16 season as Rams skipper. It also marked the 13^th consecutive year that the baseball program has reached the 20-win plateau in a season.

Sliney was the story in the evening however as he pitched 6 1/3 innings of no-hit baseball before Jake Dickerson broke up the no-no with a single through the left side of the infield. The sophomore southpaw would keep the Wildcats off balance all night as he fanned seven only allowing four hits and two earned runs.

The Rams would jump out quick in the nightcap scoring twice in the first inning. K.C. McCarthy got things going a he singled through the right side of the inning, and Jake Cintolo doubled to right center. Andrew Babb would plate the game's first run with a single up the middle, before Mark Annese connected on a sacrifice fly to right to give the Rams the early 2-0 edge.

Suffolk would open things up in the fourth scoring four times as Cintolo and Babb each had RBI singles and Devan Jones would once again deliver the big blow as he plated a pair of runs with a triple to centerfield to stake the Rams to the 6-0 edge.

Cintolo added some insurance in the eighth as he connected on his first home run of the season hitting a towering blast up into the trees in left field as he finished up a 3-for-5 night with a pair of RBI.

Babb finished game two 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI, while Jones had a monster day going 5-for-9 with six RBI as he hit for the cycle in the two games combined on Saturday.

Sunday's matchup in the championship game marked the fourth consecutive season that both the Monks and Rams would square off in the finals of the GNAC.

Both teams would go scoreless throughout the opening three frames of Sunday's championship game before the Rams struck first in the bottom half of the fourth inning as Stephen Schultz hit a 3-2 fastball past the scoreboard in left center for a three-run homer to open up the scoring. Jake Cintolo started the inning off with a double to right center, before Devan Jones would reach base on a hit by pitch. After recording the next two outs, Schultz would would the count full and then crush his first home run of the season to give the Rams the early edge.

As was the case for much of Sunday afternoon, the Monks would not go away as they answered with two runs in their following at-bat. Senior Chris Campbell (Rochester, N.H.) got the inning started with a one-out single through the right side and then sophomore Sam Butts (Saco, Me.) singled up the middle. Senior Todd Keneborous (Hollis Center, Me.) then got the Monks on the board with another single to plate Campbell as Butts would come around to score as well as the ball trickled past the Suffolk outfield.

The Rams would come back with three more runs in their following at-bat. Michael Muse got the inning started with a bloop single to left field. Suffolk would take advantage of a Monks miscue as K.C. McCarthy then hit a comebacker to the mound that was throw into the outfield to give the Rams runners on the corners and one out. Jake Cintolo, Andrew Babb, and Mark Annese would all add RBI singles in the fifth as the Rams staked themselves out to a 6-2 lead halfway through the game, but the Monks would score six unanswered runs over their final four at-bats.

St. Joseph's would add three in the top half of the sixth inning as sophomore Nate Martin (Chebeague Island, Me.) started the scoring with a double to left. Campbell added a pair of runs with his third single of the game chasing Suffolk starter Tim Belanger (Raynham, Mass.).

The Monks would even the game at six runs in the seventh inning as senior Ian Lee (Hampden, Me.) singled home Keneborous, who drew a leadoff walk.

St. Joseph's would not relent as they threatened in the eighth inning. The Rams would bring in Alex Torres to try to hold the game even and give the Rams a chance to win. Torres would escape trouble in the eighth getting out of a bases load jam as the 2011 GNAC Pitcher of the Year squared off against the 2011 GNAC Player of the Year. With the bases loaded and two outs Torres won the battle against Keneborous getting him to ground out on a 3-1 fastball to second base.

Things would not go so smoothly in the ninth however as sophomore Mike Pratt (Dartmouth, Mass.) would double to start the inning. After a strikeout, junior pinch-hitter Dan Brown (Portland, Me.) would turn on a 2-2 slider hooking it to centerfield to plate the go-ahead run with a double. The Monks would add some insurance later in the inning on another Suffolk miscue as Brown sprinted around third and scored on a heads up play as the Rams were caught off guard on the bang bang play at first base.

Sophomore Tyler Laverriere (Biddeford, Me.) picked up his first save of the season escaping trouble in the ninth getting the game ending 6-4-3 doubple play to wrap things up for the Monks. Freshman Joe Gruntkowsky (Peabody, Mass.) picked up the win pitching 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts.

Matt Sliney, Mark Annese and Jake Cintolo all earned All-Tournament honors for the Rams.

Sliney earned honors for the second year as a row as he once again eliminated the Wildcats. Annese caught all 35 innings in the four game stretch for the Rams, while going 4-for-15 with a home run and six RBI. Cintolo went on a 9-for-19 clip on the weekend with a home run with four RBI.