HARTFORD, Conn. - The history books for the Wildcats baseball team just became a little bit longer. JWU won their first ever NCAA Tournament game, an 8-5 victory over Husson on Friday morning.
Records:
JWU: 14-15
Husson: 22-9
Statistics:
Kevin Duffy: 2-for-3, 2B, R
Griffin Snyder: 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Joe Maracic: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, SAC FLY
Of Note:
Similar to the start in yesterday's opening game against Southern Maine, the Wildcats fell behind early in today's elimination game, 3-0, after the visiting half of the fourth inning. A bases loaded balk and sacrifice fly out to right by senior Joe Maracic cut into the deficit in the bottom of the 4th inning for JWU. The Wildcats first lead of the tournament came in the fifth inning when catcher Colby Greenhalgh reached on a fielding miscue that plated fellow senior Bryan Bessler. Another balk pushed the Wildcats ahead 4-3 with EJ Leone scoring the go-ahead run.
The lead was short-lived as the Eagles evened things up in the top of the 6th with a sacrifice fly that pushed the score to 4-4. JWU answered right back with a leadoff double by senior Kevin Duffy. Duffy saw a groundball sent up the middle by Maracic and was off to the races to give his team the 5-4 advantage. Griffin Snyder skied a 1-2 pitch deep down the left field line that stayed fair and lifted JWU to a three-run edge, 7-4. It was the second consecutive game with a homerun for Snyder who is batting .500 with two homeruns, a double and three RBI in his last three games. Justin Perez scored later in the inning on a wild pitch that would insure the Wildcats win.
Senior Steve Rocchio pitched well surrending ten hits and striking out four in six and a third innings pitched while reliever Dane DellaValle closed out the win for the Wildcats with two and two-thirds innings on the mound and collecting seven of his eight outs via groundout.
Up Next:
The Wildcats advance to day three of the regional and will take on intrastate rival Salve Regina University at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow in an elimination game, weather pending.
CLICK HERE for the full regional schedule.
CLICK HERE for the NCAA Tournament Program.
CLICK HERE for the NCAA Regional Tournament page.
