Worcester State 8, Framingham State 2

Worcester State 12, Framingham State 11

Game 1 --- Box Score 

Game 2 --- Box Score

Framingham, MA --- Behind an outstanding pitching performance by sophomore Bob DeVito (Spencer, MA) in a 8-2 victory in game one and a 12-11 seventh inning comeback in the nighcap, Worcster State swept Framingham State this afternoon to capture the MASCAC Championship and top seed in the upcoming conference tournament.

The Lancers improve to 23-10 overall while they remain unbeaten in the MASCAC at 12-0. The Rams dip to 7-21 and fall to 3-9 in conference play. WSC will play Bridgewater State to wrap up their regular season MASCAC schedule and can finish no higher than first place if swept by the Bears who are currently 9-3.

Worcester State used four home runs to propel them to the win in game one. Senior outfielder Matt Hart (North Easton, MA) launched the first pitch of the game out of the park for his first home run of the day. Hart, who finished the first game 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI, hit his second of the game in the fourth inning to put the Lancers up 4-0. Hart now has 10 homers this season which is the best total in the MASCAC.

Johno Hinkell (North Adams, MA) and Nick Fluegge (Ware, MA) each also added solo home runs. Hinkell’s came in the first to wrap up a three run inning for the Lancers and Fluegge’s came in the fifth (8-0).

DeVito hurled six scoreless innings with two outs before he gave up a two-run homer to freshman Matt Urban (Malden, MA) in the bottom of the seventh. DeVito yielded two runs off five hits while he walked two and fanned five.

Freshman southpaw Rob McLaughlin (Plymouth, MA) took the loss on the mound as he tossed six innings allowing all eight runs off nine hits while he issued a pair of free passes and notched one strikeout.

With five swipes this afternoon junior Ryan LaPrade (Leominster, MA) broke the single-season record for stolen bases as he now has a MASCAC-best 25 steals this season. LaPrade eclipsed the mark that was held by Tim Lenard, Jason Akana and Mike Wilson who graduated in 1999, 1995 and 1992, respectively. LaPrade's four swipes in the first game gave the Lancers 100 total steals as a team this season.

Down 3-2 in the second contest, the Lancers plated four runs in the top of the third on a game-tying solo home run by junior Nick Caparell (N. Attleboro, MA) and a three-run double by sophomore Shane Coakley (Spencer, MA).

WSC took a commanding 10-3 lead with RBIs by Caparell, Fluegge and Abbascia in the top of the fifth.

With the Lancers nursing the advantage in the bottom of the frame, the Rams would score eight times in the fifth to take an 11-10 lead. Sophomores Steven Tramontiozzi (Watertown, MA) and Joe Sheehan (Burlington, MA) led off the inning with back-to-back singles. After an out, sophomore Jason Hutchinson (Kingston, MA) singled driving in Tramontozzi and Sheehan came around to score on catcher Sean Callhan’s (Watertown, MA) ground rule double to center.

Pinch hitter J.J. Sorensen (Westerly, RI) singled in two more runs to cut the Lancers lead to 10-7. Junior Dave Leach pulled the Rams within one with a two RBI double to right center and tied the game as he scored on Tramontozzi’s second single of the inning. Sheehan doubled home Tramontozzi to give the Rams the lead heading into the sixth.

Sophomore Bart Venza (East Rockaway, NY) came on and pitched a scoreless sixth and gave way to senior Matt Nicholson (Watertown, MA) in the seventh. Nicholson retired the first batter and after back to back miscues on the left side of the infield, the Lancers had runners on first and second.

After a fielder’s choice that left runners on the corners, the Lancers put the runner on first in motion and the Rams failed to convert the pickoff attempt allowing pinch runner Ben Mullin (Burlington, MA) to score the tying run. Two batters later, Abbascia stole home on another first and third situation and scored what proved to be the game winning run.

Senior Pat Good (Hull, MA) improved his record to 5-0 after he came on in the top of the sixth and set down three of the last four for a scoreless seventh.

Worcester State will venture down to Rhode Island College on Wednesday at 4 PM while the Rams return to action on Wednesday as they travel to Elms College.

Some Portions of Release Courtesy of Framingham State Sports Information