#3 Worcester State 15, #1 Westfield State 14
Westfield, MA --- Junior Nick Fluegge (Ware, MA) was 4-for-5 with a homer, double, three RBI and four runs scored as classmates Corey Abbascia (Shrewsbury, MA) and Corey McDonald (Hudson, MA) cracked key home runs to power #3 Worcester State to a wild 15-14 victory over top seeded Westfield State in the winner’s bracket game of the MASCAC baseball tournament semifinals.
Worcester State, 30-9-1, advances to the championship game, scheduled for Monday, May 10, at 12:00 against Westfield State, who eliminated Bridgewater State, 3-2, in Sunday's final semifinal contest.
WSC has notched consecutive 30-win seasons and their third ever. With three homers today, the Blue and Gold set the record for the most homers in a season besting the 2002 and last year's mark of 49.
The Lancers stopped the Owls’ (29-8) 13-game winning streak in the wild and windy game that saw seven lead changes and 35 hits, including five doubles and four homers.
Westfield State took a 3-0 first-inning lead sparked by a two-run single by designated hitter Kevin Lyons (Braintree, MA), who increased his school record RBI total to 56 this season.
Fluegge smashed a mammoth solo homer to put the Lancers on the board in the second inning, then they took a 4-3 lead with three runs in the third.
Westfield State responded with three runs in the home half of the third to regain the lead, 6-4. But Worcester State came back with four huge in the top of the fifth for an 8-6 lead when Abbascia lined a grand slam homer just over the fence down the left field line for his second career dinger. The homer was the seventh time the Lancers have gone yard with the bases juiced this season.
Westfield State scored twice in the home half of the fifth to tie the score, 8-8, but Worcester scored two more runs in the sixth on four walks and a balk.
The Owls took their final lead, 11-10, with a three-run uprising in the sixth, with the key hit a two-run double by Third-year Pete Hogan (Brockton, MA).
Worcester took the lead for good by scoring three runs in the seventh, including two on a Fluegge single. McDonald delivered the eventual game-winning hit in the ninth with a two-run homer.
Westfield trailed 15-12 heading into its final at bat. Junior Jeff Ackerman (Beverly, MA) drew a one-out walk and first-year pinch hitter Andrew Medeiros (Acushnet, MA) singled up the middle, with Ackerman scoring on a throwing error by the center fielder. Senior Ben Wagner (Cumberland, RI) then rapped an RBI single to make it 15-14.
But Worcester senior closer Kevin Hayes (Medford, MA) notched his sixth save by striking out sophomore Matt Kelly (Weymouth, MA) and senior Jeff Fields (Pittsfield, MA) to clinch the contest. Hayes, who earned the stop in their 7-4 triumph over Framingham State on Thursday, now has nine saves in his career for the school record.
Worcester out-hit Westfield, 18-17. McDonald was 2-for-4 with three RBI and senior T.J. Magnell (Leominster, MA) was 3-for-6.
For Westfield, Hogan was 3 for 4 with two doubles and four RBI and Kelly was 3 for 6. Mike Trachtenberg was 2 for 4 with two RBI.
Junior Bobby DeVito (Webster, MA) pitched three middle innings of relief for the victory to improve to 6-0 on the season.
Freshman Matt McDougall (Milton, MA) was saddled with the loss as he drops to 2-3.
Portions of Release Courtesy of Westfield State Sports Information