Baseball Splits MASCAC Twinbill with Framingham

BRIDGEWATER, Mass.—Bridgewater State University and Framingham State University split a MASCAC baseball doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Park in Bridgewater.  The visiting Rams won the first game, 9-5, while Bridgewater earned the split with a 5-3 victory in game two.

The doubleheader marked the conference opener for both teams.  Bridgewater is now 9-6 on the season (1-1 MASCAC) while Framingham is 9-8 overall (1-1 MASCAC).

In game two, junior Corey Batista (Fall River, Mass.) went the distance on the mound as he gave up three runs on eight hits with a walk and eight strikeouts.

The Bears jumped out early scoring three runs in the first.  Sophomore Tyler Dennis (Stoughton, Mass.) doubled with one out and came home on an RBI single by senior Matt Greenberg (Norwell, Mass.).  Greenberg would come around to score on junior Ian Williams' (Taunton, Mass.) triple and junior Dave Billotte (Norton, Mass.) plated Williams with an RBI groundout.

Framingham cut the deficit to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Will Crofton (Hopkinton, Mass.) and an RBI single off the bat of junior Jason Hutchinson (Kingston, Mass.).  Bridgewater however answered with two of their own in the fifth as junior Joshua Ferreira (Fall River, Mass.) led off the frame with a triple and scored on an RBI single by Dennis.  After a walk to Greenberg and a balk, Williams knocked in Dennis with a sacrifice fly to give BSU the 5-2 lead.

The Rams threatened in the seventh as senior Joe Sheehan (Burlington, Mass.) doubled and classmate Danny Tomasz (Newburyport, Mass.) lined an RBI single to make it a 5-3 game.  Batista (2-1) ended the threat as he retired the final three batters in order including the last two by strikeout.

Dennis finished 2-for-3 at the plate in game two for the Bears with two runs and an RBI.  Williams went 1-for-2 with a run scored and two batted in.

Crofton paced the Rams as he was 2-for-2 with an RBI.

Junior Ryan Stoller (Milton, Mass.) pitched well for Framingham in the opener.  Stoller (2-1) worked 5 2/3 innings giving up three runs (two earned) on eight hits with a walk and nine strikeouts.

Senior Corey Ketterer (Plymouth, Mass.) led the Rams' 12-hit attack in game one as he went 3-for-4 with a triple, two runs and an RBI.  Classmate Sean Callahan (Watertown, Mass.) finished 1-for-3 with a home run, while Sheehan was 2-for-3 with a double, a run and two RBI.

Framingham used a six-run fifth inning to take a commanding 9-1 lead.  Ketterer tripled and scored in the inning while Callahan blasted a long two-run homer. Sheehan added an RBI double while freshman Matt Roberge (Lowell, Mass.) drove in the final two runs of the frame with a two-run single.

The Bears pushed across two runs in the sixth as sophomore David Pierce (East Bridgewater, Mass.) tripled in a run and scored on an RBI single by classmate John Garabedian (Mansfield, Mass.).

In the seventh, Dennis walked and Greenberg roped a two-bagger to start the frame.  After Williams reached on an error to score Dennis from third, Billotte doubled in Greenberg to cut the deficit to 9-5.  With runners at second and third with nobody out, senior Matt Magazine (Marlborough, Mass.) was called in to save the game for the Rams.  After an out, junior Matt Barsaleau (Holland, Mass.) walked to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. Magazine, however, induced a pop up and fly ball to right field to end the threat and the game.

Bridgewater banged out ten hits in the loss led by two apiece from Greenberg and Billotte.  Greenberg finished 2-for-4 with a run, while Billotte went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

Bridgewater travels to Johnson and Wales University on Wednesday afternoon for a 3:30 game with the Wildcats.  Framingham heads to UMass Boston on Tuesday to take on the Beacons also at 3:30.