Worcester State 3, Southern Vermont 1

Worcester State 5, Southern Vermont 4

Game One --- Box Score

Game Two --- Box Score

Whitinsville, MA --- The Worcester State baseball team added two wins to their record as they defeated Southern Vermont 3-1 and 5-4 this afternoon in non-conference baseball action at the Northbridge Middle School baseball field. The Lancers were highlighted by a strong pitching performance in game one by senior Joey Lucier (Brockton, MA) and in the second game the Lancers held on for the triumph.

Worcester State (10-3-1) runs their streak to nine straight while the Mountaineers slip to 4-6 overall.

Lucier (2-1) was outstanding as he hurled a complete game allowing one unearned run to go along with three hits as he fanned 10 and allowed just two walks. The only run Lucier gave up came in the top of the second on a passed ball as Southern Vermont sophomore Ben Warrington (Folcroft, PA) led off the inning with a first-pitch triple.

The Lancers answered in the bottom of the second as they would push across two runs to take the lead for good. Junior Johno Hinkell (North Adams, MA) reached first with a walk before freshman Chris Creen(Worcester, MA/St. John’s) followed with an RBI triple to the deep part of center field. Creen then scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Tyler McElman (Marlboro, MA).

In the bottom of the fourth Hinkell and McElman teamed up again for an insurance run. Hinkell began the inning with a double and he moved to third on a ground out as he would scamper home on another sac fly by McElman.

That was all Lucier would need to finish the game as it took him 63 pitches (101 total) to set down 14 of the last 18 batters he would face from the third to the seventh inning which included a pair in scoring position.

Southern Vermont sophomore Ben Maaktgeboren(Cambridge, MA) shouldered the loss as he allowed three runs off of five hits as he struck out three and issued a trio of free passes. His record falls to 1-2.

In the second contest the Mountaineers drew first blood again as they plated an unearned run for the quick 1-0 edge. Dave Gage(Gloversfield, NY) was plunked to start the game and he moved to second on a failed pickoff attempt by the catcher. Gage then scored on Warrington’s two-out single to right.

Worcester State though would strand four – including the bases loaded in the bottom of the first – before they put up a crooked number for the 5-1 lead in the third. The Lancers took advantage of three infield miscues as they were highlighted by a run producing single by junior Nick Fluegge (Ware, MA) and an RBI triple by senior Ryan LaPrade (Leominster, MA).

WSC senior Mike Borowiec(Spencer, MA) would keep the Mountaineers at bay retiring nine of 11 from the second to the fourth frames until he ran into trouble in the fifth. With the bases juiced, Warrington came through in the clutch again as he belted a two-run single to left center with two outs and make the score 5-3 before Borowiec buckled down and ended the threat with a strikeout.

Southern Vermont wouldn’t back down as they plated another run on an RBI single by Gage in the sixth and had the game-tying run at third in the seventh with runners on the corners. But the Mountaineers ran into an out trying to steal second and senior closer Kevin Hayes (Medford, MA) induced a pop-up to end the contest.

Borowiec won his first game of the season as he struck out nine in five innings of work while he allowed three unearned runs on four hits. Borowiec also walked three as Hayes collected his second save of the year.

Junior Adam Northup (Richmond, RI) was tagged with the setback as he his record drops to 0-3. Second-year Eric Wells (Athens, PA) hurled a pair of scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh to allow the Mountaineers to stage an attempted comeback.

In the second contest Fluegge and LaPrade each contributed a pair of hits while Wells, who was also Southern Vermont’s designated hitter, went 2-for-3 with a trio of RBIs.

Worcester State continues their season tomorrow with a noontime game against Babson while the Mountaineers will entertain Norwich on Tuesday and Middlebury on Wednesday as the first pitch in both contests is 3 PM.