Garbarino’s Walk-Off Suicide Squeeze Caps Baseball’s Wild Doubleheader Sweep of Franklin Pierce

Links: Box Score (Game 1) | Box Score (Game 2)

HAVERHILL, MASS. – The Merrimack College baseball program officially punched its ticket to the 2019 Northeast-10 Conference Championship on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Franklin Pierce in a doubleheader played at Trinity Staidum in Haverhill, Mass. Junior Joey Porricelli hit a three-run inside-the-park homer to highlight a 10-1 romp in the opener, while senior Anthony Garbarino capped a near four-hour 13-inning marathon with a run-scoring suicide squeeze that gave the Warriors a 3-2 win in Saturday's finale.

Merrimack increased its currently winning streak to six straight games and have won 13 of 14 overall. The two victories also guaranteed the Warriors their fifth series win of the season, and Merrimack's first series triumph over Franklin Pierce in six years (2013). The Warriors are 13-3 in the month of April overall.

Sophomore Vin Zappulla worked six innings in the opener, and did not allow an earned run. Merrimack broke a 1-1 deadlock entering the bottom of the sixth with a seven-run frame, which was highlighted by Porricelli's round-tripper. The hosts then jumped out to a 2-0 lead in game two, only to see the Ravens knot the score at two runs apiece. Neither team then scored from the bottom of the sixth through the top of the 13; senior Trevor Cooley headlined Merrimack's relief effort by throwing a career-best six innings of one-hit ball with eight strikeouts. Sophomore Thomas Crowley led the bottom of the 13^th off with a single, reached third on a hit from freshman Michael Golankiewicz  and raced home on Garbarino's bunt to complete the walk-off.

The Basics
Score (G1): Merrimack 10, Franklin Pierce 1
Score (G2 – 13 innings): Merrimack 3, Franklin Pierce 2
Records: Merrimack (25-13, 14-2 NE Div.) | Franklin Pierce (20-18, 9-7 NE Div.)
Location: Trinity Stadium | Haverhill, Mass.    

Rapid Recap (Game 1):

• The Warriors jumped out to a 1-0 lead after one inning. Porricelli started the game by legging out a bloop double, and reached third on a bunt single by classmate Nick Shumski. Despite Franklin Pierce eliminating Shumski with a double-play ball, Porricelli was able to score Merrimack's first run
• Zappulla worked out of his first jam in the top of the third. The Ravens loaded the bases with two outs, but the righty got his last on a pop up to Shumski at shortstop to keep the visitors off the board. The Staten Island, N.Y. native stranded four more runners over his next three frames of work. Franklin Pierce scored its lone run in the top of the sixth as a hit-and-run play sent a runner at first to third, but then a bobble in center field allowed the Raven to round third and score
• Merrimack's game-changing bottom of sixth featured run-scoring singles for junior Thomas Joyce and Golankiewicz, while Garbarino executed a safety squeeze as well. With the score at 5-1 and two runners on with two outs, Porricelli roped a line drive through the left-field gap, which when rolled all the way to the way. The NE10's leader in steals scored without a throw to the plate, increasing Merrimack's lead to seven (8-1)
• Junior Dylan Stevens and graduate student Garrett Hudson combined to toss the final three innings for Merrimack. The Warriors scored twice more in the seventh, on a two-run single from Golankiewicz

Rapid Recap (Game 2):

• Sophomore Timmy Kalantzakos took the hill in game two, and put up zeros through the first three innings. Merrimack's bats gave the second-year hurler support in the bottom of the third when Crowley hit a two-run single with the bases loaded to put the Warriors in front, 2-0
• Things remained that way until the top of the sixth, when the Ravens tied the game. With two outs and a runner on second, the Ravens recorded three straight hits including two RBI singles that tied the game. Kalantzakos recorded his final out on a grounder to short, which would be his final batter
• Cooley's best career performance included three perfect innings to start his outing. He struck out the side in the top of the ninth to create Merrimack's first potential walk-off situation. The Warriors put two runners on in the bottom half for Joyce, but he struck out looking to extend the game to extras
• The senior righty struck out three more in the 10^th, but Merrimack went down in order in the bottom half. Franklin Pierce's biggest threat came in the top of the twelve as the Ravens put runners in scoring position with two outs, but Cooley punched out his eighth batter to end the threat
• Sophomore Jake Thibault threw a one-two-three top of the 13^th to earn the victory. Crowley singled up to the middle to start the bottom half, and then stole second. Golankiewicz lined a single into shallow left, but Crowley was held at third. Immediately going down 0-2, Garbarino laid down a bunt just to the right of the pitcher's mound to give the Warriors the game-winning run

Notes and Notables (Game 1):

• WP – Zappulla (6-1) | LP – Covelle (5-4)
• Zappulla's Final Line (W): 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
• Zappulla's eight quality start of the year moved the sophomore into a three-way time with Kalantzakos and senior Cam Monagle for the team lead in wins (6)
• Porricelli's sixth homer of the year and 10^th double moved the third baseman into second place in the conference in total bases (89) and second in extra-base hits (21)
• The junior captain tied Shumski and Golankiewicz for the team lead with two hits each. Porricelli and Golankiewicz shared the team high with three RBI
• Shumski added a triple, tying Porricelli for the team lead with his fifth of the year

Notes and Notables (Game 2)

• WP – Thibault (2-2) | LP – Hannon (1-2)
• Kalantzakos' Final Line (ND): 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
• Cooley's outing gave the reliever new single-game career highs in innings pitched (6.0) and strikeouts (8), while also setting new single-season career highs in innings pitched (23.1) and strikeouts (25)            
• Crowley enjoyed a career game at the dish, setting a new career best with four hits. His red-hit six-game hitting streak features five multi-hit games and four contest with at least three base knocks. During the streak, the catcher is hitting 16-for-27 overall (.593)
• Shumski, Porricelli and Garbarino all joined him with multi-hit efforts
• Merrimack tied its season high with eight stolen bases. Porricelli swiped two to move his NE10 lead up to 30, posting the third 30-steal season in Warriors history

Up Next
The Warriors and Ravens return to Trinity Stadium tomorrow for their series finale. Merrimack's Senior Day ceremony will precede the 12 p.m. first pitch against Franklin Pierce .