BRISTOL, R.I. – The Suffolk University Rams earned the 2014 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Baseball Championship on Sunday afternoon, defeating the host Roger Williams University Hawks by a final score of 8-1. With the victory, Suffolk improves to 26-14-1, while Roger Williams concludes its season at 26-17.
Rams' freshman Matthew Brenner (Eliot, Maine) was named the 2014 ECAC Division III New England Baseball Championship's Most Outstanding Player after hitting .538 (7-13) with five runs batted in and three runs scored in three games.
In the title game, Brenner along with three other teammates finished with multi-hit performances. Brenner finished 2-for-5 with two RBI, senior Devan Jones (Roslindale, Mass.) was also 2-for-5, scored two runs and collected career hit No. 200. Sophomore Rob Marks (Revere, Mass.) had a 2-for-3 showing with an RBI and a pair of runs scored and junior Justin Knight (Hackettstown, N.J.) went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, an RBI and a run scored.
Freshman Tim Conroy (Arlington, Mass.) pitched seven solid innings for Suffolk, allowing just one earned run while scattering seven hits and striking out three. Senior Jhonerris Mendez (Boston, Mass.) secured the victory with two innings of one-hit relief while striking out two.
After the two teams went scoreless through the first inning and a half, Roger Williams scratched across the game's first run in the bottom of the second. Junior Chris Travers (East Freetown, Mass.) led off the home half with a double to straight away centerfield. Junior Reid Nelson (Wallingford, Conn.) followed with a sharp single down the first base line that scored Travers and put the Hawks ahead, 1-0.
In the top of the third, the Rams responded. Marks started the inning with a single to left field before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Senior Mike Muse (Milton, Mass.) advanced Marks to third with a sacrifice bunt, and after a pop out and a walk, Brenner smacked a base hit into right that scored Marks to even the score at one apiece.
Suffolk added to its lead in the top of the fourth, as the Rams tacked on four runs to go ahead by a score of 5-1. Junior JC Collette (Amesbury, Mass.) drew a lead off walk to start the inning before Jones lined a single to center to put two on and nobody out. Sophomore Jon Lapolla (Providence, R.I.) laid down a bunt that was thrown away, which allowed Collette to score from second and gave the Rams a 2-1 edge. A walk to Marks loaded the bases, and Muse followed with a sacrifice fly to score Jones and push Suffolk ahead, 3-1. Knight followed with a single to right, scoring Lapolla and after senior Mac Jacobson (Norfolk, Mass.) reached on an error, classmate Jake Cintollo (Wrentham, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to give the Rams a 5-1 lead.
Jones started the fifth with a ground rule double, before Marks sent a single into right field to extend the Suffolk lead to five. The Rams added a pair of runs in the eighth on an RBI single by Brenner and a fielder's choice by Cintolo to finish off the 8-1 triumph.
Senior Mike Thomas (Plainville, Conn.) led the Roger Williams' offense, as he went 2-for-4 in his final collegiate game. Travers finished the afternoon 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored for the Hawks. Senior Sean Boyle (Arlington, Mass.) suffered the loss, going three-plus innings and surrendering four runs (three earned), four hits and striking out two.
*Release courtesy of the ECAC Athletic Communications Dept.