Baseball Rallies for 7-4 MASCAC Win Over Fitchburg State

FITCHBURG, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team pushed across three runs in the top of the ninth as the visiting Bears rallied for a 7-4 victory over Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) foe Fitchburg State University on Friday afternoon at Riccards Field.

The Bears improve to 23-7 on the season with their seventh straight win and 9-2 in the MASCAC, while the Falcons fall to 13-13 overall and 4-7 in conference play. Bridgewater is now 69-30 versus Fitchburg since 1978.

Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, two stolen bases and three runs scored to pace Bridgewater's 15-hit attack, while Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) went 3-for-5 with a home run, a run and three RBI.

The Bears opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. Emerson doubled to deep left and scored on an RBI single by Wladkowski. After Cam James (Ipswich, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice ground out and stole second, Riley Thornell (Wareham, Mass.) walked to put two runners on. Dan Jasmin (East Meadow, N.Y.) then rapped an RBI single up the middle to give the visitors an early 2-0 lead.

Zachary Malek (Schenectady, N.Y.) crushed a two-run homer over the left field fence to tie the game up in the bottom of the second.

The Falcons took a 3-2 lead with an unearned run in the third. Vincent Eramo (Shirley, Mass.) reached on an error, stole third and advanced to third one out later on a base hit by Nolan Hills (Danvers, Mass.). Eramo then beat the thrown home on the back end of an attempted double steal.

Fitchburg tacked on a run in the fourth on back-to-back hit batsmen, a stolen base and a throwing error by the BSU catcher.

An opposite field two-run homer by Wladkowski in the top of the fifth inning knotted the score at 4-4. The home run marked Wladkowski's third of the season and second in as many games.

The score remained that way until the top of the ninth. Back-to-back singles by Emerson and Wladkowski put runners at the corners with nobody out. James then lined an RBI single to right field to plate Emerson with the go ahead run and send Wladkowski to third. After James stole second, Fitchburg got a big strikeout for a the first out of the inning. Wladkowski was then cut down at the plate on a failed squeeze bunt attempt. Joey Molis (Cumberland, R.I.) kept the inning alive as he was hit by a pitch and Jasmin followed with an intentional walk to load the bases. Pinch hitter Joshua Selander (Granby, Conn.) then lined a clutch two-out single to left field to extend the BSU lead to 7-4.

Matthew Seavey (North Attleboro, Mass.) worked the first seven innings for the Bears but did not factor in the decision. Seavey allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. He also hit three batters.

Trey Yesu (Monson, Mass.) earned the win in relief as he tossed a scoreless eighth inning. Yesu (3-2) gave up one hit and fanned two. Tyler Dasilva-Medeiros (Taunton, Mass.) allowed the first two batters to reach in the bottom of the ninth but induced a double play ball and a ground out back to the mound to notch his sixth save of the season and 17th of his career.

James (2-5, 2SB, 2R, RBI) and Jasmin (2-4, BB, RBI) also recorded multiple hits for Bridgewater State.

The Bears stranded at least one runner on base in every inning but the seventh, eleven total. The Falcons left nine runners on base including at least one in every inning but the fifth.

Maxwell Kelly (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and Jacob Hurrell (Haverhill, Mass.) notched three hits apiece for Fitchburg State. Kelly went 3-for-4 with a double and a stolen base, while Hurrell singled three times in four at bats and scored a run.

Lowell Pare (Leominster, Mass.) suffered the loss in relief for the Falcons. Pare (6-2) gave up three runs on four hits over two innings with two walks and three strikeouts. He also hit a batter. Orion Daily (Nantucket, Mass.) worked the first seven innings for the hosts allowing four runs on 11 hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

Up Next: The two teams wrap up the three game MASCAC series on Saturday afternoon at Bridgewater State's Alumni Park. Game one of the doubleheader is slated to get underway at noon.