Mariners End Baseball Season With A Homer

Mitchell College sewed up a victory in its final baseball game of the season with a game-winning home run on Sunday. The following information was provided by David Longolucco, sports information director at Mitchell College:

Senior Ethan Graynor (Leonia, N.J./Leonia) hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Mitchell College baseball team its third walk-off win of the weekend over Southern Vermont College, 6-5, on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.

The Mariners trailed 5-3 heading into their final at bat, but freshman Rafael Garcia (New Britain, Conn./New Britain) led off with a double to start the rally. He then scored on a single to right-center field by classmate Evan Peck (Shelton, Conn./Shelton), and two batters later Graynor ended the game with an opposite field blast over the right field fence. It was his first home run of the season and fourth of his career.

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The home run also gave Graynor his first win on the mound this season. The right-hander threw 1.0 inning of relief and struck out two batters. Dustyn Marfyak (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) suffered the loss for the Mountaineers and dropped to 0-5 on the season. Max Ginter (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) tossed 7.0 strong innings of relief and was in line for the win before taking the no decision.

Southern Vermont got off to a quick start, stringing together three consecutive hits to start the second inning. Dillon Desiderato (Burlington, Conn./Northwest Catholic) led off with a single through the left side and moved to third on a ground rule double by Cody LaBadia (Howes Caves, N.Y./Schoharie). Sal Sciara (Massapequa, N.Y./St. John the Baptist) followed with a single to center to plate one run, and the Mountaineers added a second due to a Mitchell fielding error on a grounder by Chris Nicastro (Cranford, N.J./Cranford). The Mariners escaped further damage thanks to a nice defensive play by senior Tommy Derosier (Brooklyn, Conn./Killingly) at second base and a pick-off by freshman pitcher Mike Grofsick (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne).

Mitchell evened the score with two runs in the bottom of the second. Graynor led off with a walk and later scored on a two-out double by freshman Drew Doyle (Mystic, Conn./Fitch). Derosier then laid down a bunt single to score Doyle from third base, picking up his team-leading 23rd RBI of the season.

The Mountaineers threatened again in the fifth but ultimately came up empty. Southern Vermont loaded the bases with no outs, but Grofsick got a shallow fly ball to left for the first out before the Mariners turned a double play to get out of the jam.

Mitchell scratched across a run in the sixth to take its first lead. Junior Will Charkowsky (Cold Spring, N.Y./Haldane) led off with a double to deep center and advanced to third base on a ground out by Graynor. After Ginter picked up an out via strikeout and senior Joseph Patikowski (Edison, N.J./Union Catholic) walked, Doyle delivered a two-out single through the left side of the infield to score the run.

Southern Vermont pulled ahead 5-3 behind a three-run seventh inning. Nicastro led off the frame with a double to center and later scored from third on a two-out single by Rob Murawski (Franklin Square, N.Y./Holy Trinity). Grofsick then walked back-to-back batters to load the bases before Pat Warrington (Folcroft, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) knocked him out of the game with a two-run single to center.

Garcia and Doyle had three hits apiece as the Mariners finished with 12 for the game. LaBadia and Sciara led the Mountaineers at the plate with two hits each.

Both teams were playing in the final game of their respective seasons. Mitchell ended the year with an overall record of 10-18 and 9-9 in NECC play. Southern Vermont finished with a record of 9-31 and 5-13 in conference action.