New Haven, Conn. – The Albertus Magnus College baseball team had another quality spring on the diamond in 2016, earning a post-season bid for the sixth season in a row. The Falcons ended the year with a 13-21 overall record and earned the No. 5 seed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament thanks to a 6-8 mark in league action.
Albertus Magnus saw its season come to an end with a neutral-site setback versus fourth-seeded Johnson & Wales in the opening round of the league tourney.
In his 12th season at the helm of the program, Head Coach Brian Leighton guided the Falcons to their most conference victories since 2014. AMC swept a GNAC doubleheader versus Rivier and split four conference twinbills this year. Albertus Magnus also earned four extra-inning triumphs and four walk-off wins.
Following the campaign, senior catcher Mike Saia (Bridgeport, Conn.) and classmate Justin Poirier (Meriden, Conn.) both earned Third Team All-GNAC honors. Saia ends his three-year career as a Falcon by earning conference-wide recognition for the first time, while Poirier, a corner infielder, received third-team distinction for the second straight season thanks to a team-leading 38 hits and 24 RBIs. Senior outfielder Ted Gravel (Morris, Conn.) joined his classmates in getting league-wide honors, as he represented the Falcons on the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
At the Albertus Magnus College Department of Athletics annual end of the year banquet, Poirier was tabbed as the team's MVP, freshman shortstop Mike Browne (New Fairfield, Conn.) earned the squad's Most Improved Player award and senior infielder Tyler Robertson (Cheshire, Conn.) received the baseball team Falcon Award.
Albertus Magnus opened the season with a 4-2 loss on the road against Mount St. Mary's in early March. In his collegiate debut, freshman hurler Malachi Emond (Coventry, Conn.) scattered five hits and struck out five batters, while surrendering just two earned runs in seven and two thirds innings of work. At the dish, Saia paced the Falcon attack with a 2-for-3 performance.
After dropping the first three games of their spring break trip in South Carolina, the Falcons responded by winning their final five games in the Palmetto State to return to the Northeast with a 5-4 overall record. The five-game winning streak was a season-best for Albertus Magnus as the team scored three one-run triumphs.
Albertus Magnus swept a twinbill against Alfred State on March 15 for their first two wins of the spring. The Falcons took the opener, 11-9, and scored a 10-9 walk-off triumph in the nightcap. In the second game, the Falcons erased two different two-run deficits and scored a walk-off win as Gravel hit a single that plated the game-winning run to cap his monster game. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Gravel hit a single to left field that brought Poirer racing home to complete the sweep for the Falcons. Offensively, Gravel went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBIs. On the mound, Falcon senior reliever Dan Zarnik (Hamden, Conn.) tossed the final three innings to earn the win.
The team capped their spring trip with a sweep of Principia on St. Patrick's Day. In the opener, Albertus Magnus Emond tossed a complete game to earn his first collegiate win. He was impressive on the bump, striking out a career-high 11, while surrendering just one earned run. In the finale, freshman Derwin Nunez (Bridgeport, Conn.) laced a two-out double that brought classmate Dean Gullo (Northford, Conn.) charging home for the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh. AMC junior Christopher Rivera (New Britain, Conn.) worked the final two innings on the mound to pick up the win for the Falcons.
The Falcons closed out the first month of the season by going 1-4 after returning to New England. Their win came in game one of a non-conference doubleheader at Westfield State. The hosts jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI fielder's choice. The visitors answered by putting crooked numbers on the scoreboard in the third and fourth innings. In the five-run top of the third, Saia roped a 2-run double to left center and Browne followed with a 2-run single for Albertus Magnus.
In mid-April, AMC snapped a six-game skid by taking game one in a GNAC doubleheader versus Lasell. The Falcons jumped out to an early, 9-0, advantage thanks to scoring three in the first and six in the second inning. Down the stretch, AMC held off a late Lasell comeback attempt to earn their first GNAC win of the spring. On the bump, Rivera went the distance to record his second win of the season. Rivera scattered eight hits and struck out a season-high nine hitters. At the dish, Poirier and classmate Steven Lockman (Wallingford, Conn.) both had three hits apiece. Three other Falcons contributed registered multi-hit games as well.
The squad would also split their next two conference series at Norwich and versus Anna Maria at home. This spring, the Falcons played their home contests at the newly renovated Rochford Field in neighboring Hamden. Rochford Field, which is just three blocks from the Albertus Magnus campus, features state-of-the-art lights, a covered grand stand for fans behind home plate, newly sodded and irrigated grass field surface that will play host to only baseball and softball games and a new electronic scoreboard in left center field.
It was a long, but exciting day of league play on April 23 as Albertus Magnus scored a pair of extra-inning, walk-off wins against Rivier. AMC scored its third walk-off win of the spring courtesy of a one-out sac fly to centerfield by freshman outfielder Tyriq Harris (Waterbury, Conn.) that brought Browne charging home in the bottom of the 10th. With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth in game two, freshman Justen Rodriguez (Waterbury, Conn.) came racing home on a passed ball for the game-winning run. Rodriguez started the rally with a one-out double to left center and later advanced to third on an error. After an intentional walk to load the bases, Rodriguez galloped home with the winning run. On the day, junior reliever Tom Moore (East Haven, Conn.) picked up two wins on the mound.
The lefty went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA out of the bullpen en route to be named the GNAC Pitcher of the Week. He struck out four while walking none in six innings of work. In Game 1 versus Rivier, Moore tossed a scoreless frame to earn his second win. In Game 2 against the Raiders, he threw five scoreless innings and scattered three hits to pick up the victory. He struck out three hitters in relief as Albertus Magnus erased a two-run deficit to rally for the win.
Later in the month, Albertus Magnus closed out its non-conference slate with a doubleheader split versus in-state rival Western Connecticut. The host Colonials scored a walk-off win in the opener and the Falcons rallied to take game two courtesy of a three-run homer from Gravel. In game one, Poirier led the Falcons going 2-for-4 with a pair of homeruns, three RBI's and three runs scored. Poirier now leads the team with three dingers on the season.
In the final conference doubleheader of the regular season, AMC split a twinbill with Suffolk on Senior Day. The Falcons scored another walk-off win in the opener versus the Rams. With the bases loaded and two outs in the home half of the seventh, Gravel worked a walk to bring Robertson trotting home with the game-winning run. Zarnik racked up his second win of the year for the hosts, tossing three scoreless innings of relief. Rivera tossed the first five innings for the hosts and allowed three earned runs.
After a rainout and a postponement, the Falcons and JWU finally met in the opening round of the GNAC Tournament. The Wildcats blanked AMC to advance and bring the Albertus Magnus season to an end.
Poirier hit .330 this season and posted a .318 batting average in conference action. Three of his four steals on the season came in league action. He hit a team-best three home runs, highlighted by a multi-homer game against in-state rival Western Connecticut late in the year. Earlier this year, he became the 14th player in program history to record 100 career hits. The third basemen amassed a .902 fielding percentage this spring and played a hand in five double plays.
Gravel had a breakout spring for the Falcons, setting new career bests in batting average (.287), hits (29), home runs (2), RBIs (18), triples (2), doubles (6) and runs scored (13).
Saia started 33 games behind the plate and hit .272 with 16 RBIs this spring. He recorded 28 hits during the year and scored nine runs. During the month of April, he batted .300 and hit a pair of doubles. He threw out 13 runners attempting to steal this season, highlighted by gunning down seven in conference play.
Other contributors offensively were freshmen Dean Gullo (Northford, Conn.) and Robert Perazella (Wolcott, Conn.) who hit each over .350 this season. Browne also hit over .300 during his first year on campus for the Falcons. Freshman Tyriq Harris (Waterbury, Conn.) led the team with seven steals and played stellar in the outfield.
On the mound, Moore won a team-best three games and led the squad with a 4.40 earned run average. Emond went 2-4 with three complete games and a 4.54 ERA in just under 40 innings of work, while Rivera established himself as a workhorse this year, throwing a team-high 48 and two-thirds innings to go along with two wins.
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