NORTHBORO, Mass. – Mike Chaves Jr. (Hudson, Mass.) homered for the second straight game and Ben Smith (Bourne, Mass.) led a rotation that struck out 12 batters without issuing a walk as the Worcester State baseball team defeated Nichols College 11-0 on Saturday afternoon at New England Baseball Complex.
Smith went the first five innings and twirled a gem, allowing just three hits while striking out six. He was bolstered by the support of Joey Zawisza (Newington, Conn.) and Danny DiMassimo (Pittsfield, Mass.), who combined to pitch the next four innings in relief. Zawisza struck out five over three innings, allowing just four hits, while DiMassimo closed out the win.
After three and a half scoreless innings, Chaves put the Lancers on the board with a no-doubt three-run shot to left. He now has two home runs and seven RBIs in the first two games of the season.
The Lancers scratched out two more runs in the fifth inning, and then broke things open with a six-run seventh. Freshman Anthony Iamarone (Providence, R.I.) stayed hot with two more hits and two more runs scored, while shortstop Chris Ausiello (Tyngsboro, Mass.) was 2-4 and drove in a pair of runs with a single up the middle to get the rally started in the seventh.
With the game still in the balance at 5-0, Nichols put two on with nobody out in the top of the seventh when Victor Valentin (Miramar, Fla.) and Ryan Porth (East Longmeadow, Mass.) led off with back to back singles. Zawisza put an end to the threat, striking out two of the next three batters to keep the Bison (1-3) off the board.
Nichols used ten different pitchers in this game, with Louis Denison (Holliston, Mass.) shouldering the loss after allowing three runs on Chaves's blast. Patrick Doyle (Lagrangeville, N.Y.) pitched an inning and a third of perfect ball with two strikeouts to close out the game for the Bison.
Porth was 2-3, the only player to record a multi-hit day for the Bison, who did not record an extra-base knock on the afternoon. Worcester State had 9 hits, but only the home run went for extra bases.
Zack Roberts (Northbridge, Mass.) was on the base-paths all day for Worcester State, taking three walks, scoring twice and stealing two bases. Grant Hartley (Auburn, Maine) had a hit and two walks and knocked in a pair, the first with a single down the right field line in the fifth, and the second with the second of two straight walks taken by the Lances with the bases loaded in the seventh.
The Lancers will head south to Florida for their Spring Break trip, with their first game in the South taking place Saturday, March 12th against Stockton in Winter Haven.
Nichols will travel to Springfield on Monday for a 3:30 PM game against the Pride.