Baseball Drops Pair of MASCAC Games to Fitchburg

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The visiting Fitchburg State University baseball team swept a crucial Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader with Bridgewater State University on Friday afternoon at Alumni Park. Fitchburg won the opener, 1-0, and completed the sweep with a 4-2 victory in eight innings in game two.

The Falcons improve to 10-9 on the season and 7-3 in the MASCAC with the two wins, while the Bears fall to 10-17 overall and 4-6 in conference play. By virtue of the sweep, Fitchburg earns a spot in next week's best-of-three MASCAC Championship series.

Game One

Richard Sharpe (Townsend, Mass.) tossed a complete game, two-hit shutout to lead the Falcons to a 1-0 victory in the opener. Sharpe (1-1) faced 23 batters, walked one and fanned six.

David Kerns (East Cambridge, Mass.) pitched very well in the setback for the Bears. Kerns (1-5) gave up just one run on seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

The Falcons scored the only run of the game in the top of the second inning. Johan Asencio (Clinton, Mass.) singled to lead off the frame and Matthew Pingitore (Rutland, Mass.) followed with a walk to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Cameron Donahue (Methuen, Mass.) then ripped an RBI double down the leftfield line to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Kerns retired the next three batters on a pair pf ground outs and an harmless fly ball to avoid any further damage.

Donahue went 2-for-3 with the game-winning RBI double to pace the Falcons. Zachary May (Rochdale, Mass.) also notched a pair of hits for the visitors as he singled twice in three at bats.

Game Two

May's RBI bloop single in the top of the eighth inning broke a 2-2 tie as the Falcons completed the sweep with a 4-2 extra inning victory in the nightcap.

Nicholas Cordeau (Melrose, Mass.) went 3-for-4 with a walk, stolen base, two runs and an RBI to highlight the Fitchburg offense, while Brenden Ferrell (Plymouth, Mass.) went 3-for-5 with a stolen base.

Fitchburg took advantage of a key BSU error to push across and unearned run in the top of the first inning. The Falcons loaded the bases with nobody out on back-to-back singles by Cordeau and Ferrell and a walk to May. After a shallow fly out, Jackson Vail (Grafton, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice with Cordeau crossing the plate on an errant throw home by the third baseman.

Donahue doubled and scored on Cordeau's RBI single to make it a 2-0 game in the top of the sixth.

The Bears loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth on a Sean Goudey (Weymouth, Mass.) single and a pair of walks to Cam James (Ipswich, Mass.) and Joey Molis (Cumberland, R.I.). Austin Alzate (Narragansett, R.I.) came on in relief of starter Taryn Laramie (Franklin, N.H.) and gave up an infield RBI single to Kyle Suraci (Clinton, Conn.) and then uncorked a wild pitch to knot the score at 2-2.

The Bears put runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the seventh on back-to-back walks to Goudey and James, but were unable to score.

Goudey made a nice running catch in right field in the top of the eighth to take an extra base hit away. The Falcons, however, put runners on first and second with two outs in the frame on a pair of walks to Jaime Velez (Lowell, Mass.) and Cordeau. May then looped an RBI single into shallow centerfield to plate Velez with the go ahead run. Asencio followed with an RBI infield single to give the visitors the 4-2 lead. 

Neither starting pitcher factored in the decision.

Colin Josselyn (Hanson, Mass.) scattered ten hits over six innings in the start for the Bears. Josselyn gave up two runs (one earned) with one walk and three strikeouts.

Laramie allowed two runs on three hits over 5 1/3 innings with four walks and seven strikeouts.

Alzate (2-1) tossed 1 2/3 innings of relief with a couple of strikeouts to pick up the win for the Falcons. May recorded his third save as he worked around a leadoff single in the eighth.

Suraci went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the BSU offense in game two, while Goudey singled, walked, stole a pair of bases and scored a run in four plate appearances. James reached safely three times as he was 1-for-2 at the dish with two walks, two stolen bases and a run scored.

Lucas DiTondo (Marshfield, Mass.) was tagged with the loss for the Bears on the mound as he was charged with the go ahead run. DiTondo (0-1) gave up a hit and two walks in 1 1/3 innings.

Fitchburg left 13 runners on base in game two, while Bridgewater stranded ten.

Up Next: The two teams meet up again on Saturday in Fitchburg with game one of the non-conference doubleheader getting underway at noon.