PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Johnson & Wales (RI) University baseball team advanced to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship with a 6-4 come-from-behind win over Anne Maria College Saturday afternoon at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex.

Sophomore Xavier Botelho doubled and drove in two runs for the Wildcats (27-13), who rallied from a 4-2 to score twice in the seventh and eight innings to advance to Sunday's Championship game, where they will meet the winner of Anna Maria/Elms. Junior EJ Leone went 1-for-2 and drove in an insurance run in the eighth for JWU while junior Riley Hasson and two hits and an RBI.

The Wildcats took advantage of five AMCats errors, none more costly than one in the bottom of the eighth, when a single off the bat of JWU senior Miles Kelly scooted under the glove of the right fielder, allowing freshman Jack Obert to score the eventual game-winning run from second. Leone followed with a single to plate Kelly and make it 6-4.

Sophomore Justin Markell picked up the win in relief of sophomore Ryan Schultz, who worked the first 5.2 innings. Markell entered the game his team down by a pair in the sixth and pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing three hits and striking out one. Graduate student Kyle Cutler loaded the bases in the ninth before retiring the next three batters to record his first save of the season.