Baseball Sweeps Westfield State on Senior Day

WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team celebrated Senior Day with a doubleheader sweep of Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletics Conference (MASCAC) rival Westfield State University on Friday afternoon at Alumni Park.

The Bears won the opener in dramatic walk-off fashion, 7-6, and completed the sweep with a 4-2 victory in game two.

Bridgewater improves to 8-11 on the season and 4-4 in the MASCAC, while Westfield falls to 13-3 overall and 6-2 in conference play. The Owls entered the twinbill ranked seventh in the latest NEIBA Division III New England Poll.

Prior to game one, the Bears honored Michael Catanoso (Marshfield, Mass.), David Kerns (East Cambridge, Mass.), Tyler Rondeau (Bourne, Mass.), Matt Josselyn (Hanson, Mass.), Colin Josselyn (Hanson, Mass.), Trever Dennett (Kingston, Mass.), Luke Tamulevich (Whitman, Mass.) and Lucas DiTondo (Marshfield, Mass.).

Game One

Colin Josselyn tripled with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning and raced home on Cam James' (Ipswich, Mass.) walk-off single to lift the Bears to the dramatic 7-6 win in the opener.

Tyler Dasilva-Medeiros (Taunton, Mass.) picked up the win in relief as he tossed a scoreless seventh inning. Dasilva-Medeiros (1-1) gave up a hit and fanned two to record his first collegiate victory. Kerns worked the first five innings allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits with a pair of walks and eight strikeouts.

The first four innings of the contest went by quickly with the Bears plating a run in the bottom of the first on Josselyn's RBI single. The Owls tied it up with an unearned run in the top of the fourth as Nick Martin (Shrewsbury, Mass.) singled, moved to second on a passed bass and scored on an RBI double off the bat of Ethan Day (Meridan, Conn.).

Westfield strung together four straight singles, a walk and a wild pitch in a three-run fifth inning to pull ahead, 4-1. Brett Dooley (Cohasset, Mass.) and Martin rapped RBI base hits in the frame while Nolan Florence (Chicopee, Mass.) scored on a wild pitch.

Bridgewater responded with a four spot in the home half of the fifth. A bases loaded triple by Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) tied the game up and Joey Molis (Cumberland, R.I.) followed with an RBI single to put the Bears back on top, 5-4.

A bases loaded, two-out walk to Florence knotted the score in the top of the sixth for the Owls. Martin then reached on an error allowing Casey Boudreau (Shrewsbury, Mass.), who singled, to race home with the go-ahead run.

Rondeau led off the home half of the sixth for the Bears with a base hit, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a sacrifice bunt. Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice to put runners at the corners. Lindsay then stole second and Rondeau raced home with the tying run on an errant throw by the catcher.

That would set the stage for the walk-off heroics by Josselyn and James in the bottom of the seventh.

Molis (2-4, 2B, R, RBI), Josselyn (2-4, 3B, R, RBI), James (2-4, RBI) and Rondeau (2-3, 2R) each recorded two hits for the Bears in the opener.

Martin went 3-for-4 with a double, stolen base, run and RBI to pace the Westfield offense in game one. The Owls also received two hits apiece from Boudreau (2-3, 2R), Dooley (2-4, R, RBI) and Day (2-4, 2B, SB, RBI).

Shane Bogli (Vernon, Conn.) worked the first five innings on the mound for the Owls and did not factor in the decision. Bogli gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. Vincenzo Camera (East Haven, Conn.) was tagged with the loss in relief. Camera (1-1) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits with one strikeout over 1 2/3 innings.

Westfield committed four errors in the contest and stranded eight runners on base.

Game Two

Colin Josselyn allowed two runs over six strong innings to record his second collegiate win. Josselyn (2-2) scattered four hits, walked two and fanned eight. Dasilva-Medeiros worked a one-two-three seventh with one strikeout to earn his third save of the season.

The Bears took the early lead with a run in the bottom of the second. Mathew Pigeon (Canton, Mass.) led off the frame with a walked and advanced to third thanks to a two-base throwing error on a failed pickoff attempt. After Shayne O'Neil (Rehoboth) walked in his first collegiate at bat, Patrick Cashin (Franklin, Mass.) perfectly executed a squeeze bunt to bring home Pigeon with the first run of the game.

Zack Graveline (Prosect, Conn.) doubled and scored on Dooley's RBI single in the third to tie the game. A clutch two-out single in the top of the fourth put the Owls in front, 2-1. After the first two batters of the inning were retired, Steve Saucier (Auburn, Mass.) was hit by a pitch, advanced to second a wild pitch and came around with the go-ahead run on a line drive single to right by Sean Moorhouse (Westfield, Mass.).

Outstanding hustle helped the Bears jump back ahead, 3-2, with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Catanoso walked and Tamulevich reach on an error to lead off the inning. Following a sacrifice bunt by Lindsay, Molis hit a deep fly out to centerfield with both Catanoso and Tamulevich scoring on the two-run sacrifice fly.

Bridgewater tacked on an insurance run in the sixth. O'Neil connected for his first collegiate hit to lead of the frame and moved to second on Cashin's sacrifice bunt. Rondeau then ripped an RBI single to center to give the hosts a 4-2 lead.

The Bears managed just three hits in the nightcap but took advantage of six walks and three more Westfield miscues.

Patrick Jordan (Reading, Mass.) allowed three runs (one earned) on just one hit in the setback for the Owls. Jordan (3-1) walked six and fanned six. Joseph Fischer (Avon, Mass.) gave up a run on two hits with a pair of strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Up Next: The two teams will be back in action on Saturday afternoon in Westfield with game one of the non-conference doubleheader getting underway at noon.