Lake Wales, FL --- Worcester State and Amherst split this afternoon in non-conference baseball action. The Lancers came from behind to defeat the Lord Jeffs, 7-3, in the afternoon game before the Lord Jeffs posted a, 6-3, triumph in the night-cap. Senior Corey McDonald (Hudson, MA) paced the effort for WSU as he went 4-for-7 with a pair of runs scored in the twinbill
In his debut on the mound wearing a Blue and Gold uniform, sophomore Nick Bonofiglio (Worcester, MA/Holy Name) tossed six strong innings allowing three earned runs, fanning three and issuing two free passes.
The Lancers (2-2) went up 1-0 in the third inning when they got some production from the bottom of the order. Second-year Nick Gezotis (Westfield, MA) led off the frame with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. Gezotis was then driven in by classmate Adam Metzger (Northampton, MA) on a ground out.
Amherst (2-1) plated a three of runs in the fourth to take a 3-1 edge. Junior Kevin Heller (Brooklyn, NY) and teammate Thomas Wheeler (Minnetonka, MN) singled in consecutive at-bats before senior Scott Shaffer (Boulder, CO) drew a walk to load the bases. The trio on base would eventually come around to score when sophomore Nolan Stewart (New Canaan, CT), fourth-year Brian Merrigan (Holbrook, MA) and second-year Dan Pillitteri (Ramsey, NJ) each notched RBIs.
Worcester State promptly respond and score three times in the bottom of the fourth. After McDonald singled, senior Nick Fluegge (Ware, MA) doubled and fourth-year Paul Rodriguez (San Antonio, TX) got on base with a walk, senior Johno Hinkell (North Adams, MA) cut into the score with a sacrifice fly and then junior Tyler McElman (Marlboro, MA) delivered a clutch hit with a two-run single for the 4-3 advantage.
Senior Corey Abbascia (Shrewsbury, MA) helped the Lancers build up their lead with both of the WSU's runs in the fifth as he recorded an RBI single and he later came around to score on a wild pitch.
Bonafiglio would impress as he retired his last six batters. Sophomore Shaun Slattery (Gardner, MA) would roll out a perfect seventh to close the door for the Lancers.
Junior Dylan Joyce (South Orange, NJ) shouldered the setback in his first appearance of the season. Joyce yielded eight hits on six earned runs to go along with two walks and three punch-outs. While Joyce was effective throwing 70 pitches in five innings of work. But his three wild pitches either put runners in scoring position or scored a runner.
McDonald went 3-for-3 in the first game while Fluegge finished 2-for-3 with a two-bagger. There were no mult-hitters for Amherst as they were limited to five hits for the entire contest.
In the second game of the twinbill, Heller helped give the Lord Jeffs the quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI single to deep right field that scored two men.
Amherst grabbed another run in the third with two outs on a run producing single by Wheeler.
After stranding six runners on (three in scoring position), the Lancers finally broke the shutout in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs to make the score 3-2. WSU was highlighted by a sacrifice fly by McElman and an infield single by sophomore Chris Creen (Worcester, MA/St. John's).
But the Lord Jeff's got to Worcester State starter Kyle St. Thomas (Bridgewater, MA) with a trifecta of runs in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs in the inning, freshman Alex Hero (New York, NY) knocked in Merrigan. Wheeler then drove in Hero with a double to left center before Shaffer capped off the scoring with an RBI single.
Worcester State got back into the game with a sac fly by Rodriguez to make the score 6-3, but sophomore Adam Hedoff (San Francisco, CA) registered his first save of the season by inducing a ground-out with runners on second and third.
First-year Dylan Driscoll (Mount Airy, MD) hurled four 1/3 innings allowing two earned runs on five hits with three walks and a trio of strikeouts. Hedoff went two 2/3 innings as he permitted two walks and the run in the top of the seventh.
St. Thomas was handed with the setback as he went four 2/3 innings giving up six earned runs on eight hits with one free pass and one punch-out.
Wheeler and Schaffer each tallied two base-knocks for Amherst as Wheeler had two RBIs. Creen and Gezotis notched two hits apiece for WSU.
In four games, Fluegge now has five doubles for WSU and Gezotis has three. The win for the Lancers in the first game was their first-ever victory against the Lord Jeffs.
On Tuesday the Lancers will play Curry in a double-header at Lake Myrtle Field #1 starting at 9:30 while Amherst will play Babson at 1 PM at Southeastern University.