WORCESTER, Mass. - Immediately following the completion of last week's suspended contest against the Falcons, the Worcester State University baseball team split a doubleheader with Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference action at Lyons Diamond. Worcester State prevailed 4-1 in game one, before falling 12-8 in game two.
With the split, Worcester State moves to 10-11 overall and 3-6 in the MASCAC on the season, while Fitchburg moves to 16-6 and 7-1 in the MASCAC.
Despite playing at Worcester State's Lyons Diamond, Fitchburg State was the designated home team as the game was moved earlier in the day due to field conditions.
Game 1 - Worcester State 4, Fitchburg State 1
Worcester State handed Fitchburg State its first conference loss of the season in the first game of the doubleheader behind a stellar pitching performance from sophomore Chris Elliott (Plymouth, Mass.).
The Lancers got on the board first in the top of the first inning, when freshman Andrew Miller (Naples, Fla.) connected for his second home run of the season with a shot over the right center field wall, putting Worcester State ahead 2-0. Another run would score for the Lancers three batters later, when Jake Breton (Wilbraham, Mass.) scored on an error by the Falcon pitcher.
Sophomore Johan Asencio (Clinton, Mass.) put Fitchburg on the board in the bottom of the third inning when he scored on a double steal, but that was the only offense the Falcons would be able to muster.
Senior Ben Palatino (Hudson, Mass.) added some insurance for Worcester State in the top of the fourth with an RBI single to score Sam Allen (Springfield, Mass.).
Elliott went the distance in his first start of the season, allowing just one earned run on six hits with two strikeouts and no walks to pick up his first win. Aidan Ward (Dunstable, Mass.) took the loss, allowing four earned on seven hits while also hurling a complete game.
Game 2 - Fitchburg State 12, Worcester State 8
The bats came alive for both teams in the second contest of the doubleheader, as Fitchburg was able to avenge the game one loss.
Cooper Bigelow (Leominster, Mass.) had an RBI single in the top of the first inning to help Worcester State jump out to an early 2-0 lead. The advantage was short-lived however, as Asencio and junior Brandon Lefebvre (Leominster, Mass.) each had RBI singles in the bottom of the second as Fitchburg State jumped ahead 3-2.
Fitchburg tacked on four runs, three unearned, in the bottom of the fourth to jump out to a 7-2 lead, and sophomore Nicholas Cordeau (Melrose, Mass.) delivered the big hit with a two-run single as Fitchburg added five more in the fifth to take a commanding 12-2 advantage.
Worcester State kept it a ballgame however, as freshman Sean Devin (Lynn, Mass.) hit a pinch hit two-run shot over the fence in right in the sixth, and Miller hit his second long ball of the day in the seventh. The offensive firepower would not be enough though, as Fitchburg was able to close out the 12-8 victory.
Senior Josh Boucher (Auburn, Mass.) took the loss for Worcester State on the hill, while Adam Somers (Framingham, Mass.) got the victory for the Falcons. For Fitchburg, junior Joshua Macomber (Berkley, Mass.) was a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs scored in the win.
Next up for Worcester State, they will play at home against Albertus Magnus tomorrow afternoon, starting at 4 p.m. at Lyons Diamond.
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