Baseball Extends Winning Streak to Seven with MASCAC Sweep

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team extended its winning streak to seven games with a doubleheader sweep Monday afternoon.

The Bears took a pair of games from Fitchburg State University, 10-4 and 8-3, at Alumni Park.

BSU is now 16-7 overall and 7-1 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Falcons fall to 8-12 and 2-6 in the conference.

The Bears have won 14 of their last 15 games since a 2-6 start.

Junior Ryan Flaherty (Duxbury, Mass.) had a home run in each game, including a grand slam in the nightcap, and drove in six runs in the twinbill. He now owns the team lead with seven homers.

Game One: Bridgewater State 10, Fitchburg State 4

After falling behind, 3-0, in the first inning, the Bears outscored the Falcons, 10-1, the rest of the way.

Junior Riley Thornell (Wareham, Mass.) went 3-for-3 while senior Philip Messina (Dunkirk, N.Y., who scored three runs, and senior Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) had two hits each for BSU.

Winning pitcher Trey Yesu (Monson, Mass.) worked 4 1/3 innings as the junior and improved to 4-2.

Relievers Cameron Breault (Bourne, Mass.), a senior, and sophomore Michael Cobb (Waltham, Mass.) each pitched 1 1-3 innings, combining to give up no runs and one hit.

The Falcons jumped to the 3-0 lead when senior Nolan Hills (Danvers, Mass.) had a two-run double to left-center and senior Michael Nazzaro (Stoughton, Mass.) brought home another run with a fielder's choice.

BSU tied the game in the bottom of the third, getting three runs with two outs.

Messina and Thornell singled and Lindsay drove in the first run with a single to right field. A single through the left side by junior Joshua Selander (Granby, Conn.) drove in two runs.

The Bears took their first lead at 4-3 in the fourth when Messina homered to left-center and Fitchburg State tied it in the fifth when senior Jacob Hurrell (Haverhill, Mass.) singled and eventually scored on a fielder's choice.

BSU moved in front, 6-4, in the fifth when Flaherty hit a two-run homer to center.

The scoring concluded in the sixth with the Bears adding four runs.

Messina walked, advanced on a single through the left side by Thornell and scored on an error on the play. Freshman Jamie Luna (Warwick, R.I.), Lindsay and senior Brendan Flaven (Taunton, Mass.) had RBI singles in the inning.

Hills had two hits to lead Fitchburg State and senior Joseph Hartnett (North Attleboro, Mass.) was the losing pitcher, striking out eight in five innings.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 8, Fitchburg State 3

BSU jumped to an 8-1 lead after two innings with Flaherty driving in five of the runs.

The Bears led, 2-0, in the first as sacrifice flies by Flaven and Flaherty brought in Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) and Lindsay, who had singled.

Fitchburg State got a run in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly by senior Max Kelly (East Bridgewater, Mass.).

BSU then erupted for the six runs in the bottom of the inning.

Senior DJ Prampin (Worcester, Mass.) got things going with a triple to right-center and junior Oscar Vargas-Pacheco (Bound Brook, N.J.) and Luna drew walks to load the bases.

With two outs, Flaven walked to score a run and Selander had an RBI on an infield hit. Flaherty then hit the grand slam for the 8-1 advantage.

Fitchburg State finished the scoring with two in the fifth on a two-run homer by Hills.

Senior Shane Handrahan (Raynham, Mass.) was the winning pitcher and is now 2-1. He allowed six hits in six innings, struck out seven and walked one. Junior Matt Kustigan (Charlton, Mass.) pitched the final inning.

Emerson was the lone BSU player with two hits.

The Bears, now 7-1 at home, return to action Tuesday at 4 p.m. when they play at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Fitchburg State is at Worcester State Tuesday at 3 p.m.