#3 Worcester State 3, #1 Westfield State 2
Westfield, MA --- Tournament MVP Corey McDonald (Hudson, MA) drove in the game-winning run to lead #3 Worcester State to a 3-2 victory over top-seeded Westfield State in the MASCAC championship baseball game on Monday afternoon.
The Lancers, 31-9-1, clinched the MASCAC tournament championship to earn a berth in the NCAA Division III national tournament that begins Wednesday, May 19. WSC has captured their fourth crown since the conference tournament started in 2001.
Westfield State, which owns a 30-9 record and is the MASCAC regular season champion, awaits a possible NCAA Tournament bid.
Led by McDonald, Worcester State won all three of its MASCAC tournament games, including a wild 15-14 victory over Westfield on Sunday. McDonald cracked a three-run homer to lift Worcester past Framinhgam, 7-4, in a first round game. He smacked a two-run ninth-inning homer for the eventual game-winning blow in the 15-14 triumph over Westfield.
In Monday’s championship game, McDonald produced his game-winning RBI – a sharp single up the middle on a 3-0 pitch – to give the Lancers a 3-2 lead.
Freshman Chris Creen (Worcester, MA) opened the seventh with a ringing double to right-center field on the first pitch from Westfield senior reliever Jesse Vermeersch (Marlboro, MA).
Creen advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on McDonald’s single.
Worcester opened the scoring in the third when senior TJ Magnell (Leominster, MA) doubled off the glove of first-year leftfielder Josh Blair (Westfield, MA) at the warning track, then scored on a Creen single.
Westfield knotted the score in the fourth with two outs and the bases empty on three consecutive singles, including an RBI hit from senior Ben Wagner (Cumberland, RI).
Worcester quickly regained the lead on a double by fourth-year Nick Caparell (North Attleboro, MA) a junoir Corey Abbascia (Shrewsbury, MA) sacrifice bunt, and an RBI single by Magnell.
The Owls tied the score in the top of the seventh. Senior Jeff Fields (Pittsfield, MA) singled to center field and advanced to third on a single through the left side by classmate Kevin Lyons (Braintree, MA). Fields scored on a Campbell sacrifice fly.
Westfield got a two-out single from Fields in its final at bat, but Lyons grounded out to second base to end the game.
Westfield out-hit Worcester, 12-8, including nine hits in the first five innings. But the Owls stranded 11 base runners and four in scoring postition.
Magnell, Creen and Carparell each had a double and a single. Four of the Lancers’ eight hits were doubles. All 12 of Westfield’s hits were singles. Grillo, Wagner and Fields each rapped two singles.
Senior Mike Borowiec (Spencer, MA) threw eight complete innings in the winning decision, allowing 11 hits and one walk while striking out six. Closer Kevin Hayes (Medford, MA) recorded his school record breaking seventh save of the season. Hayes earned stops in the three tournament games.
Westfield freshman starter Bob Sinopoli (Wilmington, MA) hurled six complete innings, allowing six hits and striking out three.
Release Courtesy of Westfield State Sports Information