Baseball Sweeps Worcester State

WORCESTER, Mass. – The visiting Bridgewater State University baseball team swept a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader with Worcester State University on Friday afternoon at Lyons Field. Bridgewater took all three games of the series as the Bears also posted a 2-1 win at home on Thursday.

The Bears improve to 29-8 on the season and 15-3 in the MASCAC, while the Lancers fall to 15-20 overall and 9-9 in conference play. Bridgewater now holds a 67-54 lead in the all-time series.

Game One: Bridgewater State 3, Worcester State 0

Matt Josselyn (Hanson, Mass.) broke the school record with his seventh career shutout to lead Bridgewater State to the 3-0 victory in game one. Josselyn (7-2) scattered four hits, did not issue a walk and fanned six including the side in the seventh inning. The complete game amarked his NCAA Division III leading eighth of the season.

The Bears jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) singled to lead off the game, stole second and came around to score on a two-out RBI single by Riley Thornell (Wareham, Mass.).

Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) homered over the left-centerfield fence to extend the BSU lead to 2-0 in the top of the sixth inning.

The Bears tacked on an insurance run in the seventh. Mathew Pigeon (Canton, Mass.) singled to center with two outs. Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) then hit a tapper between the mound and third base with Pigeon scoring all the way from first when the pitcher threw the ball away.

Pigeon was the only player with multiple hits in game one as he singled twice in three at bats and scored a run.

Cole Glassburn (Hopkinton, Mass.) pitched well in the setback for Worcester State. Glassburn (4-2) went the distance allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with a walk and six strikeouts.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 5, Worcester State 1

David Kerns (East Cambridge, Mass.) went the distance on the mound to lead Bridgewater State to the 5-1 victory in game two and a sweep of the doubleheader. Kerns (3-2) allowed just one run on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

The Bears broke a scoreless tie with an unearned run in the top of the third inning. Base hits by Kyle Suraci (Clinton, Conn.) and Lindsay put runners at first and second with one out. After a fly out, James reached on an infield single with Suraci scoring on the play as a result of a Worcester throwing error.

Wladkowski blasted his second home run of the afternoon and team-leading fifth of the season to extend the BSU lead to 2-0 in the sixth.

A clutch bases loaded two-out, two-run single by Lindsay in the top of the seventh, with a hustling Wladkowski also scoring all the way from first after Lindsay got into a rundown, gave the visitors a 5-0 lead.

Sean Devin (Lynn, Mass.) homered in the bottom of the seventh to break up the shutout bid.

Kevin Zarnoch (Boston, Mass.) was tagged with the loss for the Lancers in the complete game effort. Zarnoch (4-4) gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits with a walk and six strikeouts.

James (3-4, 2SB, 2RBI) and Suraci (2-3, 2R) notched two hits apiece to pace the BSU offense in game two.

Halliwell (2-3) and Zack Roberts (Northbridge, Mass.) each finished with multiple hits for Worcester State. Roberts singled twice in three at bats.

Up Next: The Bears are off until next Friday afternoon (3:00 PM) when they travel to Westfield State University to start a three-game MASCAC set with the Owls.

Notes: Josselyn eclipsed the Bears' previous mark of six shutouts set by Scott Favreau in 2006 and equaled by Corey Batista in 2012....Kerns became the fourth pitcher in program history to reach the 200-inning milestone (202.2). He joins Paul Duffy (215.0), Kevin Cadres (216.2), Tim Hart (219.0) and teammate Matt Josselyn (229.2).