Worcester State 16, FDU-Florham 10
Port Charlotte, FL - The Worcester State College Lancer baseball
team banged out 22 hits including 4 home runs as they defeated the
Farleigh Dickinson University-Florham Devils, 16-10, Saturday
afternoon in Port Charlotte, FL. The game was the first of 8 that
Worcester State will be playing on their annual spring trip to
Florida. The win improves Worcester State to 2-3 on the year while
FDU-Florham drops to 0-2.
FDU-Florham jumped out to a, 3-0, lead after three innings before
Worcester State woke up the bats. The Lancers scored at least one
run in each of the last 6 innings.
Worcester State knotted the game at, 3-3 in the top of the 3rd
inning. With one out, Matt Hart (Easton, MA)
doubled to left field and was driven home by a Chris
Gusha (Rutland, MA) single up the middle. After a single
by Nate Nelson (Worcester, MA) and a walk to
Nick Caparell (N. Attleboro, MA) loaded the bases
Nick Dortona (Revere, MA) knocked a 2 run since to
left-center to bring home the game-tying runs.
Worcester State added a fourth run in the top of the 5th inning
when Nelson doubled home Ryan LaPrade (Leominster,
MA) who opened the inning with an infield hit.
FDU-Florham retook the lead in the bottom of the inning when the
Devils loaded the bases and shortstop Anthony
Foster plated Dan Bellino on a sacrifice
fly followed by a run scoring single by Dan Pregno
resetting the score at, 6-4.
The Lancers halved the deficit in the top of the 6th when
Chris Logan (Spencer, MA) led off with a walk and
advanced to third on an errant pickoff attempt by the Devil
pitcher. Dortona drove Logan in with a single to left field.
The Devils go the run back in the bottom of the frame when
Worcester State’s pitcher balked home Matt
Oliveto.
Worcester State took control in the top of the 7th. LaPrade greeted
a FDU-Florham pitcher with a leadoff homerun over the left field
fence. With two outs, Nelson singled to left and was driven home by
Caparell’s first homerun of the year to give Worcester State
the lead for good, 8-6.
Freshman Ryan Raleigh (Cranston, RI) hit his first
collegiate homerun in the top of the 8th inning to give the Lancers
a, 9-6, advantage.
Bellino helped the Devils back into the game hitting a 2-run shot
in the bottom of the 8th inning to bring FDU-Florham to within a
run.
Worcester State put the game away in the top of the 9th when they
loaded the bases and Raleigh posted a 2-run single. LaPrade
followed his second homer of the game, a 3 run shot, and Caparell
hit a 2-run double to close out the Lancer’s scoring.
FDU-Florham added a pair of runs in the bottom of the 9th inning
when Steven Gonzalez hit a pinch-hit 2run
homerun.
Worcester State’s Joel Brierly (New Bedford,
MA) got his first win of the year.
LaPrade paced the attack going 4-for 6 with 4 RBI and 3 runs
scored. Dortona had 3 hits and 3 RBI. Matt Hart had 3 hits and
Caparell had 4 RBI.