Baseball Sweeps MCLA in MASCAC Doubleheader

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team swept a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader with visiting MCLA on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Park. The Bears won the first game, 14-4, and completed the sweep with a 10-0 shutout victory in the nightcap.

Bridgewater outscored MCLA, 42-4, in the three-game series which included an 18-0 shutout on Friday afternoon.

The Bears improve to 11-6 (3-0 MASCAC) on the season, while the Trailblazers fall to 8-10 (0-3 MASCAC). Bridgewater State is 60-39 versus MCLA since 1972. The Bears are also 38-10 versus the Trailblazers since the turn of the century including a 24-6 mark at home.

Game One: Bridgewater State 14, MCLA 4

The Bears erased a 3-0 deficit with a five run third inning and then put the game out of reach with a nine-run fourth.

Only one ball left the infield in the third, a leadoff triple by junior first baseman Dan Saraceno (Mansfield, Mass.). The Bears capitalized on two key MCLA errors and bunted four times in the frame including a pair of bunt RBI singles by sophomore catcher Mathew Pigeon (Canton, Mass.) and sophomore designated hitter Kyle Suraci (Clinton, Conn.).

Bridgewater sent 14 batters to the plate and banged out eight hits in decisive fourth inning. The inning was highlighted by a three-run double off the bat of Pigeon and a pair of two-run doubles by junior third baseman Joey Molis (Cumberland, R.I.) and sophomore right fielder Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.).

Senior righthander David Kerns (East Cambridge, Mass.) battled through five innings to record his third win of the season. Kerns (3-0) gave up three runs (one earned) on five hits with four walks and eight strikeouts. He also hit a batter.

Junior righty Bryan Rosario (Elmhurst, N.Y.) was saddled with the loss for the Trailblazers. Rosario (1-3) allowed seven runs, only thee of which were earned, on six hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.

Pigeon paced the Bears' 13-hit attack as he went 3-for-5 with a walk, a double, two runs and a career-high five runs batted in. Wladkowski (2-4, 2B, BB, 2R, 2RBI) and Suraci (2-4, SB, 2R, RBI) also finished with multiple hits for Bridgewater State as did freshman centerfielder Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) and sophomore left fielder Joe Frechette (Plymouth, Mass.). Emerson went 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, a run, and an RBI, while Frechette singled twice in five at bats and scored a pair of runs.

Senior right fielder Isaiah Mack (Uncasville, Conn.) went 2-for-3 with an RBI double to pace the MCLA offense, while sophomore left fielder Ty Mazzeo (Averill Park, N.Y.) was 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk and two runs batted in.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 10, MCLA 0

The Bears completed the sweep of both the doubleheader and three-game series with a 10-0 win in the nightcap.

Junior righthander Matthew Seavey (North Attleboro, Mass.) tossed two-hit ball over five shutout innings to notch his team-leading fourth win of the season. Seavey walked one, hit a batter and fanned five.

Junior reliever Tyler Dasilva-Medeiros (Taunton, Mass.) retired six of the seven batters he faced to secure the shutout for the Bears. Dasilva-Medeiros hit a batter and fanned three over two innings of work.

The Bears led 4-0 after five innings of play and put the game out of reach with three run frames in each of the last two innings.

The Bears cranked out nine more hits in the nightcap and stole seven bases.

Wladkowski went 3-for-5 with a stolen base, a run and two RBI to lead the BSU offense in game two, while sophomore centerfielder Shane Foley (East Bridgewater, Mass.) was 2-for-3, with two stolen bases, three runs and an RBI. Emerson went 1-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs and two RBI.

Three MCLA pitchers allowed ten runs (eight earned) on nine hits with a pair of walks and eight strikeouts. The Trailblazer moundsmen also hit five batters.

In upcoming action, the Bears entertain Suffolk University on Wednesday afternoon at 3:30, while the Trailblazers travel to Elms College on Tuesday afternoon for a three o'clock game with the Blazers.