Rowan 8, Worcester State 4

Worcester State 9, Rowan 8 - Eight Innings

Game 1 ---  Box Score

Game 2 ---  Box Score

Lakeland, FL --- Worcester State and Rowan University split a double-header this afternoon at Henley Field. The Profs won the opening contest, 8-4, on a walk-off grand-slam by sophomore Nick Turano (Manalapan, NJ) in the bottom of the seventh before the Lancers won, 9-8, in extra frames in the same fashion.

WSC’s record now moves to 1-2-1 on the season while the Profs move to 5-4. Worcester State also earned their first ever triumph against Rowan in the second game as they had not won a game in nine attempts.

In the first game, the two teams took advantage of the southwest wind in centerfield as they combined for four home runs.

Worcester State got on the board first with a pair of runs over the first four innings as senior Nick Caparell (Attleboro, MA) led off the top of the second with a solo dinger and Corey Abbascia (Shrewsbury, MA) plated sophomore Johno Hinkell (North Adams, MA) in the fourth.

Rowan responded in fourth as they knotted the score 2-2 in the bottom of the frame. Worcester State right hander Joey Lucier (Brockton, MA) cruised through his first three innings of work retiring nine of the first 11 men he saw before running into trouble as the Profs loaded the bases on a single and a pair of walks.

In an attempt to get out of the jam, Lucier got a much needed double-play, but junior Scott Weaver (Ledgewood, NJ) would cross the plate for Rowans first run. With two outs, Lucier then plunked the next batter before he allowed second run to cross the plate on a wild pitch.

Junior Nick Fluegge (Ware, MA) made it 3-2 with his first homer of the year, but the Lancers advantage would be short lived as the Profs took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Rowan got to Lucier again as they juiced the bases with a pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt fielders choice. Weaver tied the score for Rowan on a run producing base hit and third-year Matt Citro (Bloomsbury, NJ) added the extra offense with a sacrifice fly.  

Junior transfer Chad Kasik (Dudley, MA) hurled a perfect sixth to give the Lancers some momentum as they tied the score in the top of the seventh as third-year newcomer Paul Rodriguez (San Antonio, TX) jacked a first-pitch pinch-hit home run. WSC would also load the bases in the seventh, but Rowan junior John O’Hara (Clayton, NJ) with a strikeout and a pop-up.

In the bottom of the inning Kasik allowed the first two batters to reach base before senior Kevin Hayes (Medford, MA) intentionally walked the next man to load the bases. Hayes then tried to spin a double-play, but he would allow the contest-clinching homer to Turano to end the game.

Lucier allowed four runs on six hits with four strikeouts and a pair of walks in five innings of work as Kasik was tagged with his first setback of the season.

Rowan junior Brian Cox (Cherry Hill, NJ) gave up three runs (two earned) while scattering eight hits as he notched four strikeouts and two walks in six innings of work. O’Hara earned the win in relief for the Profs.

In the second game both squads combined for 17 runs and 24 hits.

Worcester State scored first as they tallied a trio of runs in the bottom of the third on a RBI double by Abbascia and a run producing single by senior Ryan LaPrade (Leominster, MA).

Rowan answered as they made the score 3-2 in the top of the fourth. Turano drove in Weaver to start the rally before he moved to third on a deep fly-out and scored on a wild pitch.

The Lancers grabbed some insurance with three trips to the plate over the next two innings. Senior TJ Magnell (Leominster, MA) recorded a two-out RBI single in the fourth and after a solo homer by Fluegge to lead off the fifth, Caparell scored on a plated run by Hinkell as WSC took advantage of a miscue.

Trailing 6-2 after six frames, the Profs scored five runs over the next two innings to take a 7-6 advantage. Rowan was highlighted by a two-run single by senior Matt Johanson (Sewell, NJ) in the sixth and a two-run blast by classmate Matt Lenig (Pennsville, NJ) in the seventh.

As Worcester State entered the bottom of the seventh facing a one-run deficit, Caparell hammered a triple to the deep part of centerfield before he scored on an RBI single by sophomore Jake Sanderski (Millbury, MA) as the Lancers forced extra innings.

Rowan registered a run in the top of the eighth as fourth-year Jordan Marsch (Brick, NJ) led off with a single. Marsch then moved over on a bunt and a fly-out as he scored on a double by Citro.

With victory in sight the Profs couldn’t hold the lead as junior Corey McDonald (Hudson, MA) walked-off the bottom of the inning with a base hit to right field. Abbascia ignited the offense with a single before he came around to score on a throw that was mishandled by the first-baseman off of a bunt by LaPrade. LaPrade moved to third on a ground-out and scored on McDonald’s late game heroics.

WSC senior Mike Borowiec (Spencer, MA) had a no decision as he allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits to go along with three walks over a stretch of five innings. Hayes came into the game in the seventh and earned his first triumph of the season.

Rowan starter Ryan Peterson (Belle Mead, NJ) gave up six runs (five earned) as he yielded five hits with two walks and two punch outs. Third-year Kyle Norman’s (Oakhurst, NJ) record dropped to 1-2 as he could not close out the game in the bottom of the eighth.

The Lancers will play again in Winter Haven, FL at Chain Lakes complex on Tuesday in a doubleheader against Husson starting at 1:30.