Worcester State 12, UMass Boston 3
Worcester, MA --- Senior teammates Nick Caparell (Attleboro, MA) and Ryan LaPrade (Leominster, MA) combined to go 7-for-9 with three runs and a trio of RBIs to help lead Worcester State to a 12-3 victory this afternoon over UMass Boston in non conference baseball action this evening at Assumption field.
With the win the Lancers improve to 11-4-1 while the Beacons slip to 9-5. WSC would finish with 15 hits as they now have put up a double-digit hit margin in seven games this season.
Caparell had a solid afternoon as he went 4-for-5 with a double as LaPrade went 3-for-4 with a pair of two-baggers. Fourth-year TJ Magnell (Leominster, MA) also crossed the plate twice and he drove in a pair of runs for WSC.
UMass Boston was paced by junior Tim Fontaine (Worcester, MA/South) who went 2-for-4 with two runs as senior Drew Trambling (Sterling, MA) jacked a solo-homer in the top of the ninth.
The contest was scoreless through the first three frames of play until a pair of runs crossed the plate for the Lancers in the bottom of the fourth.
Junior classmates Corey McDonald (Hudson, MA) and Nick Fluegge (Ware, MA) tallied back-to-back singles and then third-year Johno Hinkell (North Adams, MA) moved McDonald over to third on a fielder’s choice ground out. With McDonald and Hinkell on the corners, Caparell hammered a double that plated a run and moved Hinkell into scoring position. In the next at-bat, Hinkell would come home on a wild pitch.
Worcester State pushed the advantage to 5-0 on a run producing single in the fifth by Magnell and he would later scamper home on a well executed double steal.
WSC broke the game open with a five run sixth inning as they were highlighted by two-run doubles by LaPrade and junior pinch-hitter Paul Rodriguez (San Antonio, TX).
Junior lefthander Chad Kasik (Dudley, MA) hurled four no-hit innings for the Lancers until he was touched off for a lead-off bunt single in the top of the fifth. Kasik, who started the season 0-2, has won three straight games. He tossed seven innings allowing two earned runs off four hits while he fanned six and allowed a pair of walks.
UMass Boston broke the shutout in the top of the seventh as Kasik plunked the first batter he saw in the frame and allowed a single in the next at-bat. That’s when second-year Mike Mattei (Spencer, MA) manufactured the first run with a ground out before freshman Daniel Heefner (Tracy, CA) followed with an RBI double. With runners on second and third, Kasik set the next two in order to end the threat.
Kasik would be relieved by junior Bob DeVito (Webster, MA) who finished the game. DeVito fanned one, hit one batter and gave up the solo home run to Fontaine for the only hit that he yielded in two innings of work.
Senior Andrew LeBrun (Stoneham, MA) was saddled with the loss as he allowed seven runs off nine hits in five-plus innings. LeBrun (1-1) issued a pair of free passes and he struck out two.
Both teams will open up their conference play this weekend. Worcester State travels to Mass Maritime for a 1 PM Saturday double header while UMass Boston heads to Willimantic, CT to face 2009 LEC Tournament Champion Eastern Connecticut in a noontime twin bill.