Smith Homers, Goes 5-for-6 in 17-3 Win over Mount St. Mary

Box Score

COCOA, Fla. -- Senior outfielder Steve Smith (East Taunton, MA) went 5-for-6 with a home run, three runs scored and four RBI to lead Bridgewater State College to a 17-3 win over Mount Saint Mary College on Tuesday afternoon at the Cocoa Expo Stadium. With the win the Bears improve to 4-1 while the Blue Knights fall to 1-4.

Smith hit a two-run blast in the top of the first inning driving in sophomore third baseman Mark Claffey (Bellingham, MA) and putting the Bears up 2-0.

BSC would score at least a run in all but two innings highlighted by a four-run sixth inning and a five-run eighth. The Bears finished the game with a season-high 25 hits, 16 of which were singles. Eleven BSC players finished with at least one hit while seven had two or more base hits.

Freshman pitcher Greg Potts (Milton, MA) was the benefit of the Bears' offensive explosion. Potts threw 88 pitches over the course of seven innings while allowing two unearned runs in his BSC debut.  He struck out four, walked four and at one point retired 11 straight batters.

Smith also banged out two doubles in the game as he is batting .500 through the Bears first five games with 8 of his team-high 11 hits going for extra bases. Claffey finished the game 4-for-7 with two runs plated and two RBIs while sophomore first baseman Dave Kiloski (Lowell, MA) was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and runs scored. Senior catcher Kelly LaDow (East Falouth, MA) was also 3-for-5 with two RBIs.

Freshman Greg Poupolo (Brockton, MA) connected for his first collegiate home run as he came off the bench as a pinch hitter in the top of the eighth.

Sophomore outfielder Brian Cardenas (Leonia, NJ) paced the Blue Knights by going 1-for-5 with two RBI’s while junior third baseman Matt Germann (Islip, NY) and Louis Paisel (Brewster, NY) each finished 1-for-3.

Both teams played poorly in the field as they combined for 12 errors in the game. BSC finished the game with a season-high seven miscues.

Brian Guillotte (New Bedford, MA) pitched a scoreless inning of relief in the eighth for the Bears and then Chris Horgan (Plymouth, MA) allowed one unearned run on one hit in the ninth.

Junior Kyle Smith (Franklin Square, NY) was charged with the loss in his first start of the season for the Blue Knights. He allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits without a strikeout or a walk in five innings of work. Over the last four innings the Mount Saint Mary bullpen allowed 11 runs (nine earned) on 16 hits.

The Bears continue their spring training trip when they take on Medaille tomorrow at 1 o’clock at the Cocoa High School field. Sophomore transfer Dave Matthews (Willison, VT) will be on the hill for the BSC making his debut.

Story by Steven M. Miller, Jr --- Sports Information Correspondent.