BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Worcester State University baseball team earned a pair of wins over the Bridgewater State Bears in Saturday afternoon Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action. The Lancers improve to 16-6 and 3-1 in the league.
GAME ONE: Worcester State 11, Bridgewater State 8
Worcester State sent in 11 runs on 14 hits and six Bridgewater State errors to earn an 11-8 win to start the day.
Kevin Larkin (Rocky Hill, Conn.) put the Blue and Gold up on a 2-RBI double in the top of the first inning, but Bridgewater State would respond in the reverse side of the inning with three runs on an RBI double from Reed Pike (Bellingham, Mass.) and a 2-RBI single from Drew Gentile (Lynn, Mass.) to set the score at 3-2 in favor of the Bears.
Succeeding a scoreless second inning, Worcester State would knot the score at 3-3 in the top of the third on an RBI walk from Kenan Kolanda (Sterling, Mass.). Bridgewater State would answer with three runs on three hits and one Lancer error in the bottom half of the third. Gentile drove in another run, Lewis Robinson (New Britain, Conn.) plated a run, and another run scored on a Worcester throwing error.
Worcester State tied the score again at 6-6 on a groundout and a 2-RBI single from Larkin.
Bridgewater State scored one run in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly, but Worcester State would come through once again and scored the game-tying run in the sixth and totaled four runs on four hits and two Bridgewater errors to take an 11-7 lead.
The Bears scored one run in the bottom of the seventh to set the score to 11-8 in favor of the Lancers.
- Jake Breton (Wilbraham, Mass.) batted 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI.
- Ben Palatino (Hudson, Mass.) went 3-for-5, also with two runs scored and two RBI.
- Larkin batted 2-for-3 with a walk and a game-high four RBI in the win for Worcester State. Mike Ferrara (Easton, Mass.) also registered two hits for the Blue and Gold.
- Five Lancers registered doubles: Palatino, Breton, Larkin, Sam Allen (Springfield, Mass.), and Cooper Bigelow (Leominster, Mass.).
- Bridgewater State's Pike, Gentile, Randy Frazier (Wareham, Mass.), and Robinson each had two hits apiece in the setback. Gentile drove in a team-high three runs.
- Worcester State's relief pitcher, Issiac Christiansen (Franklin, Maine) earned his first win of the season in 1/3 innings pitched. Kyle Sullivan (Hudson, Mass.) opened and allowed seven runs (one unearned) on nine hits.
- Connor Birch (Bellingham, Mass.) was tabbed the loss in a 6 2/3-inning performance. He allowed 10 runs (two unearned) on 12 hits. He struck out five batters at the plate.
GAME TWO: Worcester State 8, Bridgewater State 1
Worcester State's Bigelow batted a perfect 4-for-4, drove in two runs and scored two runs to help the Lancers complete the sweep.
Bridgewater State scored, what proved to be, their only run of the game in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from Pike.
Senior Lancer pitcher, Matt Irzyk (Westfield, Mass.) went the distance and hurled six scoreless (four hitless) innings to keep the Bears at one, while Worcester State tacked on one run in the third, two runs in the fourth, and five in the fifth to come out on top 8-1.
- Bigelow batted 1.000 (4-4) with two RBI and two runs scored.
- Palatino went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
- The Lancers' remaining six hits came from six different players (Breton, Ferrara, Larkin, William Roberge, Kolanda).
- Bridgewater State's five hits were scattered amongst five different players.
- Irzyk improves to 2-0 on the mound, as he hurled seven innings and allowed just one run on five hits. He walked three and struck out three batters in his appearance.
- Bridgewater State's starting pitcher, Jacob Robbins (Middleboro, Mass.) took the loss in a 4 1/3-inning performance. He allowed eight runs (one unearned) on 10 hits.
UP NEXT
The Lancers will travel to Albertus Magnus on Wednesday (Apr. 11) for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference tilt.
SOCIALIZE
Follow Worcester State Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube