Baseball Split MASCAC Twinbill with Fitchburg

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

FITCHBURG, Mass. - Fitchburg State College and Bridgewater State College split a doubleheader with FSC taking the first game, 11-3, and the Bears winning the second game, 9-5, on Patriots Day at Fitchburg State.

The Bears (16-12, 7-5 MASCAC) got the early jump on the Falcons in Game One, taking a 2-1 advantage in the top of the third inning Steve Lambert (Milton, MA) ripped a two-run single up the middle. The rest of the first game would belong to FSC as the home team plated four runs in the bottom of the frame on a Kris Breen (Griswold, MA) three-run home run and A.J. Balderelli (Holland, MA) doubled home another run to help the Falcons go on top for good with a 4-2 cushion.

Fitchburg (8-19, 3-9 MASCAC) saw five more runs cross the plate in the sixth inning. Breen, Balderelli, Neil Gendron (Salem, MA) and Jim Abreau (Mansfield, MA) delivered RBI singles while Ricky Graham had a sacrifice fly RBI.

Breen, who went 2-for-4 at the plate with four RBI, went the distance on the hill to record the victory. He scattered five hits and three runs to go along with four strikeouts and three walks. BSC starter Dave Liffers (Norwell, MA) was charged with the loss after working the first 2.2 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and no walks.

The top four batters in the FSC lineup combined for nine hits and six RBI led by Breen. Abreau was 3-for-4 with an RBI while Andrew Sauer (Willington, MA), John Phelan (Walpole, MA) and Breen each had two hits. Balderelli (3-for-4) and Gendron (2-for-4) each drove in two runs in the victory.

Bridgewater State's Kelly LaDow (East Falmouth, MA) was the only Bear to have a multiple-hit day, going 2-for-3. Lambert drove in a pair of runs, while David Kiloski (Lowell, MA) had the other RBI.

FSC used the momentum from their win to take a 3-0 lead after two innings in Game Two, but the Bears scored four runs in the sixth inning to escape with the doubleheader split. In the second, Balderelli got the first run across with an RBI single up the middle while Sauer plated two more with a double to center.

BSC scored a pair of runs in the fourth when Jarrett Mooney (North Attleboro, MA) hit an RBI double and a Kiloski plated a single to bring the Bears to within one run at 3-2.

Bridgewater State took a 5-3 advantage in the sixth inning, scoring three runs with two outs. Mark Claffey (Bellingham, MA) doubled home two runs Koneski scored on a balk. But the Falcons retaliated in the bottom of the frame, tying the score at 5-5 with a two-out two-run home run by Graham.

After LaDow was hit by a pitch to open the seventh, Dan Hansen (Hanover, MA) belted a two-run shot over the centerfield fence to break the tie. Koneski added to the lead with an RBI single and Claffey delivered an RBI single for the 9-5 lead.

Chris Horgan (Marshfield, MA) worked the final 1.1 innings to get the victory on the hill for BSC, allowing a run on two hits with a strikeout.  Spenser Hatstat (Clinton, MA) worked the first 5.2 innings for the Bears, giving up four runs on seven hits in the start.

Steve Donah (Agawam, MA) also pitched the first 5.2 innings for the Falcons, allowing five runs on eight hits with a pair of walks. Matt Morrison (Beverly, MA) was saddled with the defeat after he allowed two runs on a hit and a walk.

Release courtesy of Fitchburg State College