Worcester State 11, MCLA 3
Worcester State 5, MCLA 2
Game 1 --- Box Score
Game 2 --- Box Score
North Adams, MA --- Worcester State defeated MCLA twice, 11-3 and 5-2, as the Lancers improved to 7-1 in the MASCAC. Senior closer Kevin Hayes (Medford, MA) picked up his fourth save of the season to tie himself with Pat Good's record of seven saves.
WSC, winners of ten straight, are now 22-5-1 overall while MCLA slips to 6-16 and 1-7 in the conference.
In game one Worcester would score five times in the first two
innings, but only three were earned. Senior Nick
Caparell (N. Attleboro, MA) had a two-run double in the
top first inning as Worcester jumped to a 2-0 early lead.
The Trailblazers though would soon knot up the score the
bottom half of the first thanks to a junior Eddie
George (Falls Church, VA) RBI single. George later came around to
score on a Worcester wild pitch.
The 2-2 tie was short lived as the Lancers came back with three in
the second and led 5-3 after two innings.
Trailblazers’ junior hurler Sean Hermance (Elizaville, NY)
and WSC third-year southpaw Chad Kasik
(Dudley, MA) both settled down after that putting up zeros until
the bottom of the seventh.
The Lancers scored six times in the seventh and batted
around to put the game out of reach. WSC was highlighted by a
run producing doubles by senior TJ Magnell (Leominster,
MA) along with junior's Paul Rodriguez
(San Antonio, TX) and Corey McDonald (Hudson,
MA).
Magnell was 2-for-5 while Caparell went
2-for-4. Kasik improved to 5-2 as he went the distance
allowing seven hits and two earned runs, while striking out eight.
Kasik has now won four straight pitching decisions in each of his
last four starts.
Hermance kept the Trailblazers in the games, but took the loss.
Hermance went six and two-thirds surrendering eight hits and 11
runs (four earned) to go along with a pair of walks as he struck
out no one.
Third-year John Ripepi (Amsterdam, NY), classmate Mike
Meaney (North Adams, MA) and George each had two hits at the top of
the order.
The second game had a similar start as MCLA gave up an
unearned run in the second inning allowing the Lancers to tie it
after MCLA went up 1-0 in the first off WSC righthander
Bobby DeVito (Webster, MA).
Ripepi had a good afternoon and led off the nightcap with a double
and later scored on a George RBI single.
Worcester got two in the fifth to take the lead back
3-1. McDonald hit a double to left-center with Magnell on
first, but a good relay from junior Joe Parillo (W. Springfield,
MA) and Ripepi, cut Magnell down at the plate. But
third-year Nick Fluegge (Ware, MA) would
have a big two-out double to score McDonald before
he scored on consecutive wild pitches by
sophomore lefthander Daniel Gaines (Holyoke, MA).
Gaines woudl finish with five wild pitches on the
afternoon.
MCLA got a run back in the fifth to cut it to 3-2 when
Ripepi had an RBI single following a sophomore Brendan Wyand
(Pittsfield, MA) double. The Trailblazers appeared to be
threatening for more when second-year Rick Massey (Cheshire, MA)
hit a screaming line drive, but it was snared by Fluegge at first,
who then doubled off Ripepi.
Worcester scored two more in the seventh on run
producing triple from Fluegge as he crossed the plate on
a wild throw from the mound by Gaines.
Hayes then came into the game to pitch a scoreless inning to tie Good's career mark for stops in a career. Good had set the record last season when closed the door in a 5-4 win against Nichols. Hayes is also two appearances away from tying Good's all-time record of 53.
DeVito earned the win for Worcester State in the opener as
he tossed six solid innings of work as he moves to 4-0. DeVito
yielded two runs while he scattered seven hits, walked two and
fanned a trio of batters. Fluegge and McDonald had two hits each
for the Blue and Gold.
Gaines allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits
as he pitched the entire game for the Trailblazers. Gaines also
issued three free passes and struck out one. Ripepi and Parillo
each notched a pair of hits.
MCLA will host RPI Wednesday at 4:30 PM while the Lancers will entertain RIC at Foley Stadium at 4 on the same day. Worcester State's game tomorrow against Endicott at Assumption has been cancelled.
Portions of Release Courtesy of MCLA Sports Information