Baseball Splits MASCAC Doubleheader with Worcester State

By Jim Fenton

WORCESTER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team split a doubleheader with Worcester State University Saturday afternoon.

Freshman Christopher Mondesir (Roslindale, Mass.) hit four home runs, including two grand slams, to power the Lancers to a 20-1 victory over the Bears in the first game.

Mondesir drove in 11 runs and went 4-for-5 in the game.

BSU then scored three runs each in the sixth and seventh innings to defeat Worcester State, 11-6, in the second game.

The Bears won two out of three games in the series with the Lancers and are 18-10, including 9-3 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Worcester State is 16-9 and 7-5 in the MASCAC.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 11, Worcester State 6

BSU never trailed in the nightcap, jumping to a 4-0 lead in the first inning.

Senior Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) doubled and senior Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) singled with senior Brendan Flaven (Taunton, Mass.) bringing a run in with a sacrifice fly.

After an RBI single by junior Joshua Selander (Granby, Conn.), senior Philip Messina (Dunkirk, N.Y.) hit a two-run homer.

Worcester State scored one in the second on a leadoff homer by sophomore Tyler Normandie (Lowell, Mass.) and made it 4-2 in the third on a sacrifice fly by junior Nathan Thurber (Framingham, Mass.).

The Bears scored again in the fifth as Flaven walked, went to third on a Selander single and scored on an error.

The Lancers got a run back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double by senior Tyler Smith (Leominster, Mass.).

BSU moved in front, 8-3, in the sixth inning by scoring three times.

Flaven had an RBI single and two runs scored on wild pitches.

The Bears went up, 11-3, in the seventh on an RBI doubled to left by senior DJ Prampin (Worcester, Mass.), an RBI single by Emerson, and an error scored the last run.

Selander was 4-for-5 and Emerson had three hits for BSU, which held a 14-10 advantage in hits.

Senior Shane Handrahan (Raynham, Mass.) was the winning pitcher, allowing three runs and six hits in 4 1-3 innings with four strikeouts.

Game One: Worcester State 20, Bridgewater State 1

Mondesir entered the day with four home runs on the season and matched that number with homers in the first, second, fifth and sixth innings.

He also had 18 RBI on the second before driving in 11 against the Bears.

Five BSU pitchers allowed 20 hits as the Lancers scored in five of the six innings they went to the plate.

The Bears managed just six hits and struck out 17 times while drawing only one walk.

Worcester State had a 5-0 lead in the first inning with Smith driving in the first run with a double and Mondesir hit his first grand slam.

The advantage went to 9-0 in the second as Smith had another RBI double, two runs scored on errors and Mondesir hit a solo homer.

BSU's lone run came in the third when junior Riley Thornell (Wareham, Mass.) homered with one out.

The Lancers went up, 10-1, in the bottom of the third on a two-out RBI single by Normandie.

Worcester State scored eight more times in the fifth for an 18-1 lead.

Freshman Riggs Catlin (Dedham, Mass.) hit a solo homer and Mondesir hit his second grand slam. Catlin added a bases-loaded double for three more runs.

Mondesir then hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning.

Catlin was 4-for-4 and freshman Jack Savio (Andover, Mass.) had three hits for the Lancers. Freshman Jamie Luna (Warwick, R.I.) went 2-for-for for BSU.

Graduate student Ben Smith (Bourne, Mass.) was the winning pitcher, striking out 15 with no walks in six innings.

Junior Trey Yesu (Monson, Mass.) took the loss, giving up eight runs and seven hits in 1 1-3 innings. Four Bears' relievers followed Yesu.

BSU will be at Alumni Park on Monday for a MASCAC doubleheader with the Massachusetts Maritime Academy starting at noon.

Worcester State travels to Fitchburg State Monday for a noon doubleheader.