Suffolk won two games Saturday in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference baseball tournament to move into the Championship game against Western New England Sunday at 12 p.m. at Holman Stadium in Nashua, NH. A Suffolk win in the 12 p.m. game would force a second Championship game at 3 p.m. in the double elimination tournament.

The Rams beat Rivier 3-1 and then defeated Johnson & Wales 8-6 to earn the berth in the GNAC title game.

Against JWU, the Rams scored four runs in the eighth inning to go ahead 8-4. Suffolk had four hits and JWU had one costly error as the Rams put four runs on the board. After Chris Barber (Belmont, MA) and Jeison King (Lowell, MA) singled, Kevin Silva (Hull, MA) singled to score Barber. Nick Martinho continued his hot streak, with a single to drive in King. After JWU changed pitchers, Tom Kelly (Milton, MA) reached on an error by the centerfielder, scoring Silva and Martinho to give Suffolk an 8-4 lead.

JWU scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Suffolk starting pitcher Reid Jackson (Burlington, MA) gave up a hit and a walk before Kelly came in from left field to pitch. Kelly gave up a single to load the bases with no outs. A walk then scored one run for JWU. Alex Hurley, the GNAC Player of the Year, then hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring one run as the Rams got the force out at second base. Hurley the stole second base before Kelly walked another batter to load the bases again with one out. Kelly struck out the next two batters to end the inning and earn the save.

Jackson was the winning pitcher (6-1), going eight innings and giving up nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

Martinho’s two-run home run in the seventh inning gave Suffolk a 4-2 lead. The Rams had tied the game at 2-2 in the third inning when junior outfielder Greg DiMarco (Newton, MA) drove in King on a deep foul ball to the first baseman. Kelly then singled to score Martinho. 

In the first game, sophomore Dan Delia (Boston, MA) pitched a two-hitter as Suffolk defeated Rivier, 3-1, to advance to the GNAC Semifinals. Delia, in his first start of the year, pitched a complete game, giving up one run on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

Martinho drove in three runs for the Rams, two on a home run in the third inning.