Baseball Team Punches Postseason Ticket After Beating Quinnipiac

ANDOVER, Mass. -- The Merrimack College baseball team is going to the postseason. 

The Warriors earned a playoff-clinching victory, 12-11, over Quinnipiac at Greater Lawrence Technical School on Friday evening. With the victory, Merrimack (24-27, 18-10 in conference) qualified for the MAAC Baseball Championships next week. 

"It's great," head coach Brian Murphy said. "The first goal of every season is to earn more games. To be able to do that, excited for the guys and excited for the chance to keep playing next week."

The Warriors earned their victory over the Bobcats similarly to others which helped them reach the postseason. Merrimack recorded 13 hits in the contest, including a trio of home runs. 

Brooks Craigue (2-for-5, two RBIs, two runs) hit a solo home run in both the first inning and the eighth inning, which proved to be the game-deciding run. Meanwhile, Matt DeShiro connected on a no-doubt grand slam during a seven-run fifth inning. Jayden Hamilton belted a three-run home run in the fourth inning as the Warriors scored 10 unanswered runs after training 5-1 after the top of the fourth.

Joey Frammartino (4-for-5, two runs) was one of four Merrimack players with multiple hits. 

The Warriors host Quinnipiac in a double-header at Greater Lawrence Tech. on Saturday. The first game is slated for 12 p.m. ET with the second likely to begin around 3 p.m.