Baseball Splits MASCAC Twinbill with Framingham State

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – The visiting Bridgewater State University baseball team split a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader with Framingham State University on Friday afternoon at Bowditch Field. Bridgewater won the first game, 18-8, while Framingham earned the split with a 6-3 victory in the nightcap.

The Bears are now 11-16 on the season and 7-8 in the MASCAC, while the host Rams see their record go to 16-14 overall and 9-6 in conference play.

Game One

Bridgewater State grabbed a 3-0 lead in their first at bat of the day. Junior Lewis Robinson (New Britain, Conn.) plated a pair with a two run double with two outs and senior Gavin Sparkman (Beverly, Mass.) added an RBI double of his own.

The Bears used a season-high 11-run second inning to take control of the game. Freshman Liam Bell (Wells, Maine) started the scoring with an RBI single to center and classmate Ruben Gonzalez (Stoughton, Mass.) plated a pair with a base hit. Junior Jonathan Livolsi (Bridgewater, Mass.) added a two-run double and Robinson plated another with a single. After the Bears loaded the bases, freshman David Skiendiel (Norton, Mass.) cleared them with a double and senior Kevin Bresciani (Hopedale, Mass.) capped the inning with a two-run single.

The Rams got on the board in the bottom of the third. Senior Aaron Williams (Brockton, Mass.) doubled and then came around to score on a bloop single to left by classmate Joe Ambrosino (Bradeton, Fla.).

The Rams added three more in the bottom of the fourth inning. Williams singled thru the right side scoring a run and junior Bobby Higgins (Barnstable, Mass.) scored the second with an RBI ground out. Ambrosino capped the scoring with an RBI ground rule double to center.

Bridgewater tacked on two apiece in the top of the fifth and seventh. Robinson belted a solo homer to left and senior Dominic Precopio (Framingham, Mass.) plated a run with a double in the fifth and Precopio added a two-run homer in the top of the seventh.

Bridgewater State had not homered this season before Robinson went deep in the fifth. Precopio's home run marked the first of his collegiate career.

The Rams got four in the bottom of the seventh to reach the final margin. Freshman Gino DeSimone (Medford, Mass.) a run with an RBI single and junior RC Goodman (Springfield, Mass.) followed with a three-run homer to right.

The Bears recorded 20 hits in the game and were led by Bell who collected the first five-hit game if his career. Bell went 5-for-6, scored three runs and drove in one. Sparkman finished the game 4-for-4 with three run scored and an RBI, while Robinson (3-for-5, 3 runs), Precopio (2-for-4, 3 runs) and Skiendiel (1-for-3, 2 runs) drove in three runs apiece. Bresciani also finished with multiple hits for the visitors as he went 3-for-4 with a walk, two runs and two RBI.

Williams and Ambrosino collected three hits apiece for the Rams, while junior Cory Caraher (Plymouth, Mass.) finishd the game with two hits and two runs scored.

Senior Jarrett Archambault (Seekonk, Mass.) earned the win for the Bears going five innings and allowing four earned runs on seven hits. Archambault (2-2) walked four and fanned five.

Six framingham pitchers combined to give up 18 runs (15 earned) on 20 hits with four walks and one strikeout.

Game Two

Bridgewater grabbed the early lead in game two on an RBI single up the middle by Bresciani who later scored in the inning on a wild pitch.

The Bears pushed the lead to 3-0 in the second as Skiendiel doubled and Bell singled with two outs and the duo executed a double steal.

Framingham pitching kept the visitors off the scoreboard the rest of the way.

The Rams got on the board in the bottom of the frame. Junior Andrew Curtis (Dracut, Mass.) singled and moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Senior Matt Fogarty (Millis, Mass.) followed with an RBI single.

The Rams tied the game in the bottom of the third on RBI ground outs from Ambrosino and senior Kyle Dembrowski (Natick, Mass.).

They took the lead for good with three in the bottom of the fourth. Higgins singled up the middle with runners on first and second for the first run and Ambrosino followed with a two-run bloop single with two outs.

Senior Kevin Connelly (Bolton, Mass.) earned the win in game two going five innings. Connelly (2-4) allowed three earned runs on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Sophomore Josh Jezouit (Williamstown, Mass.) tossed an inning of scoreless relief without allowing a hit, and junior Kevin Scerra (Marlborough, Mass.) tossed a scoreless inning to earn the save.

Senior Greg Cavaioli (Leominster, Mass.) took the loss going four innings and allowing six runs (five earned) on ten hits with seven strikeouts. Sophomore David Kerns (Cambridge, Mass.) tossed two scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts.

Curtis was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plater with a double and a run to pace the Rams' 12-hit attack in the nightcap. Higgins (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI), Ambrosino (2-for-4, 3 RBI) and Fogarty (2-for-3, RBI) also recorded multiple hits for Framingham.

Bell, who finished with eight hits in the twinbill, went 3-for-4 with a run in game two.

The Rams are back in action on Wednesday when they host Newbury in a non-conference game at 3:30, while the Bears host RIC on Tuesday afternoon at three.