Worcester State 12, MCLA 4
Worcester, MA --- Top-seeded Worcester State sophomore’s
Corey Abbascia (Shrewsbury, MA-LF), Johno
Hinkell (North Adams, MA-C) along with junior Nick
Dortona (Malden, MA-3B) combined for seven hits and five
runs batted in as the Lancers rolled to a 12-4 victory this morning
over #3 MCLA in the losers bracket game in the MASCAC Baseball
Tournament semifinals at Lake Park.
The Lancers (27-13) will advance and play the winner of the
afternoon bracket contest of #2 Bridgewater State against
fourth-seeded Westfield State in an elimination game later this
afternoon. MCLA wraps up their season at 20-15 overall.
Hinkell went 3-for-5 with two plated runs while Dortona and
Abbascia chipped in with two hits as Dortona drove in a pair and
Abbascia crossed the plate three times. Freshman Jake
Sanderski (Millbury, MA-LF) and second-year Nick
Fluegge (Ware, MA-1B) each went 2-for-4 as Sanderski
scored two runs and Fluegge added three RBIs.
The Trailblazers were paced by senior Derek Gibbons (Rochester,
MA-1B) and junior Ken Recore (Averill Park, NY-C) who each tallied
two hits while Gibbons finished with a double, a homer and two
plated runs.
Worcester State opened the game with a 2-0 lead after two innings
as the Lancers scored on an error in the infield on the first
inning and on a heads up running play in the second frame by junior
Ryan LaPrade (Leominster, MA-2B) with two outs.
LaPrade reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and
crossed home when a nifty play by the shortstop got muffed by the
first baseman as the ball slipped out of the webbing.
After MCLA grabbed a run back on an RBI fielders choice with the
bases loaded in the top of the third, Hinkell lifted a lead-off
solo homer in the bottom of the inning to give WSC a 3-1 lead.
The Trailblazers added another run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth
by senior Anthony Russo (Marcy, NY-C), but the Blue and Gold
answered right back on back-to-back RBIs in the bottom of the frame
by Fluegge and Hinkell.
Freshman Rick Massey (Pittsfield, MA-CF) hit a run-producing double
to bring the deficit to 6-3, but the Blue and Gold put the game out
of reach as they crossed the plate seven times over the next three
innings. Their scoring was highlighted by a two-run singles by
Dortona and Fluegge in the sixth and seventh innings,
respectively.
MCLA did try to get something going in the top of the seventh on
Gibbon’s solo homer, but the gap was too much for the
visitors to overcome.
Junior Mike Borowiec (Spencer, MA) was solid for
the Lancers as he tossed eight strong innings allowing four runs
(three earned) on nine hits. Borowiec (5-1) also fanned four and
walked two as he extremely effective throwing 105 pitches.
Trailblazer senior Cyrus Curtis (Bourne, MA) shouldered the setback
as his record dropped to 4-3 on the season. Curtis went 5 1/3
innings allowing seven runs (five earned) on eight hits while he
walked and struck out four batters.