Baseball Posts 8-3 Win Over Curry

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team posted an 8-3 victory over visiting Curry College on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Park.

The Bears improve to 9-5 on the season, while the visiting Colonels fall to 5-11. Bridgewater is 13-7-1 versus Curry since 1978.

Sophomore righthander Cameron Breault (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) worked into the seventh inning to pick up his second win of the season. Breault (2-0) gave up three runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts.

Bridgewater State banged out ten hits on the afternoon to go along with four walks and four hit batsmen. The Bears also stole five bases.

Sophomore centerfielder DJ Prampin (Worcester, Mass.), senior first baseman Joey Molis (Cumberland, R.I.) and junior shortstop Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) each reached safely three times to lead the BSU offense. Prampin tripled and was twice hit by a pitch in four plate appearances. He also stole a base, scored three runs, and knocked in two. Molis went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and a run, while Lindsey was 1-for-3 at the plate with a pair of walks, a stolen base, and an RBI.

Junior catcher Eric Longley (Mansfield, Mass.) and freshman third baseman Riley Thornell (Wareham, Mass.) added two hits apiece for the Bears. Longley went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and two RBI, while Thornell singled twice in five at bats and drove in a run.

Curry opened the scoring in the top of the second inning as sophomore third baseman Brandon Polanco (Brownsville, N.Y.) doubled with one out and later scored on an RBI single by sophomore left fielder Drew Fagala (San Antonio, Texas).

Bridgewater answered with four runs in the home half of the second. The Bears loaded the bases with one out on pair of singles by Molis and junior left fielder Cam James (Ipswich, Mass.) followed by a Kyle Suraci (Jr., Clinton, Conn.) hit by pitch. Molis trotted home when Prampin was hit by a pitch and James crossed the plate on the wild pitch to put the visitors on top.  Longley then connected for a two-run double to extend the BSU lead to 4-1.

A two-run double by Fagala on a misplayed line drive into left field cut the Curry deficit to 4-3 in the top of the fourth.

Prampin was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning, stole second and advanced to third on a base hit by Longley. A perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Lindsay plated Prampin and moved Longley to second. After a ground out, Thornell reached on an RBI infield single to give the Bears a 6-3 lead.

The Bears tacked on two more runs in the seventh to round out the scoring. James was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a two-out RBI triple by Prampin. Prampin then raced home when Longley reached on an error.

BSU freshman lefthander Harry Meehan (Gilford, N.H.) came on to relieve Breault with two out in the top of the seventh inning and retired all four batters he faced. Meehan struck out the side in the eighth inning. Senior righthander Tyler Dasilva-Medeiros (Taunton, Mass.) worked a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the game. Dasilva-Medeiros fanned one.

Fagala went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI to lead the Curry offense. Polanco (2-3, BB, 2R) and junior shortstop Ryan Goonan (Raynham, Mass.) also finished with multiple hits for the Colonels. Goonan rapped a pair of singles in four trips to the plate.

Six Curry pitchers combined to give up eight runs (seven earned) on ten hits with four walks and 12 strikeouts. They also hit four batters. Sophomore righthander Bobby Marshall (Hanson, Mass.) got the start on the mound for the Colonels and picked up the loss. Marshall (0-2) allowed four runs on five hits, a walk and two hit batsmen over an inning and a third. Senior lefthander Cameron Herndon (Floresville, Texas) struck out five in 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, while graduate righty Jack Needham (Raynham, Mass.) tossed two hitless innings with two walks and two strikeouts.

In upcoming action, the Bears entertain Lasell University tomorrow afternoon at 3:30. The Colonels host a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader with Wentworth on Saturday with game one getting underway at 11:00 AM.