Baseball Drops 15-0 MASCAC Decision to Framingham State

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Freshman righthander Jimmy Gilleran (Mansfield, Mass.) tossed two-hit ball over eight shutout innings and freshman centerfielder Shane Costello (Wilmington, Mass.) reached safely six times to lead the visiting Framingham State University baseball team to a decisive 15-0 victory over Bridgewater State University in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) matchup on Thursday afternoon at Alumni Park.

The Rams improve to 10-8 on the season and 3-1 in the MASCAC, while the Bears fall to 15-6 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

Gilleran (3-1) gave up just a pair of singles and walked five while striking out nine. He also hit a batter. Gilleran threw 124 pitches including 78 for strikes.

Costello went 5-for-5 with a double, three runs and two RBI to pace the Rams' 20-hit attack. He was also hit by a pitch.

Sophomore shortstop Steven Burbank (Canton, Mass.), junior left fielder Ryan Boyle (Arlington, Mass.), senior first baseman Robert Johnston (Watertown, Conn.) and senior third baseman Matthew Shaver (Milford, Mass.) also recorded multiple hits for Framingham State. Burbank went 4-for-6 with a double, three runs and an RBI, while Boyle was 3-for-6 at the plate with a home run, a pair of single, three runs and four RBI. Johnston singled twice and walked in five plate appearances, scored a run and knocked in two.  Shaver went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs and an RBI.

Boyle launched a three-run homer over the right field fence in the top of the third inning to stake the Rams to a 3-0 lead. The home run marked Boyle's team-leading fifth of the season.

Framingham strung together five hits, all singles, in a three-run fifth inning to extend the lead to 6-0. Gilleran connected for a two-run single in the frame.

The Rams sent 11 batters to the plate in a six-run seventh inning. Shaver and Costello recorded RBI doubles in the frame, while junior second baseman Cam Gilroy (Salisbury, Mass.) added a two-run single, Johnston an RBI single, and sophomore right fielder Lucas Basile (Upton, Mass.) a sacrifice fly.

Framingham connected for four hits and tacked on three more runs in the top of the ninth put the finishing touches on the 15-0 win. Costello knocked in the first run of the inning with an RBI single, while Burbank smacked and RBI double and Boyle added an RBI ground out.

Junior shortstop Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) went 2-for-3 with a walk to lead the way for Bridgewater. Senior catcher Mathew Pigeon (Canton, Mass.) walked twice in three plate appearances, while freshman catcher Nolan DeAndrade (Bridgewater, Mass.) cracked a double in his only at bat.

Graduate righthander David Kerns (East Cambridge, Mass.) gave up six runs on nine hits over five full innings in the setback for the Bears. Kerns (1-1) walked one, fanned one and hit a batter.

Up Next: The two teams wrap up the three game MASCAC series on Friday afternoon at Bowditch Field in Framingham. Game one of the doubleheader is slated to get underway at one o'clock.