Baseball Sweeps MASCAC Twinbill with Westfield State

WESTFIELD, Mass. –Junior third baseman Ryan Manning was 5 for 8 with a game-winning RBI to help lift Bridgewater State University to a 2-1, 3-2 doubleheader sweep of Westfield State University in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) baseball action on Saturday, April 5.

The Bears improve to 3-1 in the MASCAC and 8-10 overall. Westfield is 0-2 and 6-8.

Manning's two-out, RBI infield single in the top of the seventh and final inning led the Bears to a 2-1 comeback victory in the opener.

The Bears scored two unearned with two outs to spoil a fine pitching performance by Westfield junior Mike Molta.

Brandon Hoyle started the last-inning comeback by pounding a one-out double to left-center field. Hoyle advanced to third on pinch hitter Zachary Smith's groundout.

With Hoyle on third and two outs, Jacob Souza reached safely on a two-base infield throwing error following a routine ground ball, allowing Hoyle to score the tying run.

Billy Mitchell moved Souza to third with a single, and Manning drove in the game-winning run on a slow-rolling single down the third base line.

Westfield scored its only run in the third inning. Dan McCormack singled with two outs and the bases empty, stole second and scored on Pat McWilliams' single to right-center.

Manning was 3 for 4 and Nicholas White was 2 for 4 for five of the Bears' seven hits in the opener. McCormack and catcher E.G. McMillan both rapped two singles for Westfield.

Winning pitcher Andy Sadoski improved to 4-1; he scattered eight singles, walked none and struck out seven.

Molta did not issue any walks but he hit two batters. He struck out one.

In the nightcap, Bridgewater snapped an early 1-1 tie with a two-run uprising in the fourth inning and held off a late Westfield rally.

A Manning single and White double led to Bridgewater's first inning run. Westfield scored in the second when Tim Santilli smacked a double, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on McMillan's single.

Keaghan Austin-MacInnis led off Bridgewater's decisive fourth inning with a double. He advanced to third on John Mulready's single. Sean Brooks delivered a sacrifice fly for a 2-1 Bear lead. Colin Ryan singled and Anthony Deleo walked to load the bases, then Souza drove home the eventual game-winning run on a ground out.

Bridgewater nearly threw away the game in Westfield's final at bat when Kyle Colesanti and Tyler Adams reached safely on errors. McCormack's two-out, run-scoring single thru the left side made the score 3-2.  With runners at the corners, Bridgewater closer Adam Mullen entered the game and notched his third save by getting McWilliams to foul out to the catcher.

Manning and Austin were both 2 for 4 in the second game, while Santill was 2 for 3.

Winning pitcher David Holmes hurled six and a third innings, allowing six hits and no walks and fanning six. Losing pitcher Peter Cassidy gave up eight hits and two walks and fanned four.