Worcester State 4, Bowdoin 2
Worcester State 8, Bowdoin 6
Game 1 --- Box Score
Game 2 --- Box Score
Auburndale, FL --- Worcester State swept Bowdoin this afternoon in
two come from behind victories, 4-2 and 8-6, to improve their
record to 2-3 on the season. Senior Craig McBride
(Attleboro, MA) tossed five solid innings in game one and sophomore
Ryan Raleigh (Cranston, RI) sent in the
game-winning run in a wild nightcap affair.
In the opening contest the Polar Bears (6-6) scored the first two
runs of the game on a junior Kyle Zinkaras
(Milford, CT) RBI single – taking advantage of a WSC error in
the infield - and then senior Joe Bertie
(Marlborough, MA) plated the second run with a sacrifice fly.
The Lancers answered with a pair of runs over the next two innings
on RBI ground-outs by sophomore classmates Nick
Fluegge (Ware, MA) and Ben Mullin
(Burlington, MA).
After McBride gave up the first two runs of the game he settled
down to retire 14 of 17 batters beginning with three outs in the
opening inning, before he was relieved by junior Kevin
Hayes (Medford, MA) in the sixth. McBride would improve
his record to 1-1 on the season while he finished with three
strikeouts and a walk.
The game remained tied through the bottom of the fifth when
Worcester State staged a two-run frame to take the lead for good.
Senior Matt Hart (Easton, MA) led off drawing to
walk and moved to third on a throwing error after he stole second
base. Junior Nick Caparell (N. Attleboro, MA) and
Fluegge followed with walks before third-year Nick
Dortona (Malden, MA) drew another free pass to plate the
go-ahead run.
Junior Ryan LaPrade (Leominster, MA) then gave the
Lancers an insurance run with an infield RBI single for the 4-2
lead.
Hayes and senior Pat Good (Hull, MA) combined for
two perfect innings as Good picked up his first save of the season.
They each also notched a strikeout in relief. Bowdoin starter Tim
Welch (Portsmouth, NH) dropped his record to 0-2 as he gave up four
runs on six hits with four walks and two punch-outs.
In game two Raleigh spotted the Lancers a 1-0 lead when he scored
on a plated run by Hart in the top of the third inning.
Bowdoin answered in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run home
run by sophomore Ben Gorman (Bedford, NY) and a solo dinger by
classmate Tom Hicks (New York, NY) to take a 3-1 lead.
The two teams traded runs in the fifth inning before Hart gave WSC
a 5-4 lead with a towering three-run homer to dead centerfield in
the top of the sixth.
The Polar Bears promptly responded with a two run frame to take a
6-5 lead heading for the final inning. Hicks doubled down the left
field line to lead-off the inning and he was pinch run for junior
Nick Tom (Newton Square, PA). Tom moved to third and scored on an
RBI single by third-year Rick Auber (Billerica, MA). Bowdoin later
recorded the go-ahead run when Auber scored on a wild pitch.
Worcester State rallied for three runs in the seventh to take
control of the game and seal the hard fought victory for the sweep.
LaPrade belted an RBI single to right to knot the score which then
set the stage for Raleigh’s clutch hit in WSC’s next
at-bat. Sophomore Corey Abbascia (Shrewsbury, MA)
then promptly bunted a suicide squeeze for an extra insurance run
for the 8-6 lead.
Good (1-0) earned the win in relief while Hart recorded his first
save of the season in the bottom of the seventh. Zinkaras drops to
0-1 after he allowed four runs while Bowdoin pitching notched nine
strikeouts in the nightcap.
Hart finished the twinbill 3-for-8 with two runs scored and four
RBIs while LaPrade went 3-for-6 with three runs and two plated
runs.
Worcester State continues their Florida trip with Amherst in a 10
AM contest in Winter Haven. The Lancers also swiped a team
school-record 11 stolen bases in the second contest.