Baseball Swept by Westfield

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Sophomore pitchers Mike Molta and Peter Cassidy threw strong complete-game victories, and sophomore right fielder Pat McWilliams had six hits and four runs scored to lead Westfield State University to a baseball doubleheader sweep (8-1, 3-0) of Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference opening-week action on Friday, March 29.

Bridgewater, the pre-season pick to defend its MASCAC regular season and postseason tournament titles, is 6-8-1 overall and 0-2 in the conference. Westfield improves to 7-8 on the season and 2-0 in MASCAC play.

In the 8-1 first-game triumph, Molta - the 2012 MASCAC rookie of the year - allowed six hits and one walk and struck out six in improving his record to 2-1.

McWilliams was 4 for 4 in the opener with a double and RBI, and Andrew Medeiros plated two runs with sacrifice flies. Designated hitter Nick Champeau was 2 for 3 with a double and Kevin Greene had a triple and two RBI.

The Owls opened the scoring in the second inning on Jeremy Tanguay's sacrifice fly. They added a run in the third on McWilliams' double followed by Greene's triple to right field.

Westfield increased its lead to 4-0 with two small-ball runs in the fifth. McWilliams reached on an infield single and scored on Greene's sacrifice bunt that resulted in a throwing error that allowed Greene to reach third base. Medeiros plated Greene with a sac fly. The Owls scored their final four runs in the sixth.

Bridgewater designated hitter Jose Polanco was 2 for 3 and Trevor Lawson lined a sixth-inning RBI single.

In the second game, Cassidy only struck out one but he did not issue a walk during his four-hit (all singles) shutout. Losing pitcher Andy Sadoski gave up six hits and a walk with no strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings.

McWilliams' was the game's lone player with multiple hits, going 2 for 3 with a double.

The Owls scored the game's winning run in the third inning. Kyle Colesanti clubbed a double to right-center and scored on freshman shortstop Connor Sheridan's double to left field.

The Owls scored two insurance runs in the sixth. McWilliams led off with a double and advanced to third on Greene's groundout. McWilliams scored on a failed pickoff attempt at third base to make it 2-0. Sophomore first baseman Dan Rokitowski ripped a two-out single and freshman catcher E.G. McMillan pounded an RBI double to left-center.