WESTBOROUGH, Mass. - The Worcester State University baseball team opened its 2020 season with a 7-1 win over Anna Maria College Sunday afternoon at the New England Baseball Complex.
With the win, Worcester State opens its season 1-0, while Anna Maria drops to 1-1.
The Lancers wasted no time getting on the board, scoring their first run of the season in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Michael Chaves Jr. (Hudson, Mass.) scored Cooper Bigelow (Leominster, Mass.) from second base on an RBI double to right field to open the scoring.
Anna Maria got the run back in the bottom of the second inning on a lead-off home run by Nick Genatossio over the center field fence to even the score at 1-1.
Patrick Galvin (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Chaves would record RBI singles in the top of the third inning as the Lancers put up a three-spot in the frame to regain the lead at 4-1.
A Bigelow RBI single in the fourth and Sam Allen (Springfield, Mass.) bases loaded walk in the fifth extended Worcester State's lead to 6-1 at the contest's midway point.
Chaves pushed Worcester State's lead to 7-1 in the top of the eighth inning with his third RBI hit of the day. The Lancers had the bases loaded with no outs in the inning, but were only able to manage the one run.
Worcester State threw a bevy of pitchers at Anna Maria, and the Amcats could solve none of them. Senior PJ Walsh (Bridgewater, Mass.) got the opening day start, allowing just one hit in one inning. Junior Sean Mahan (Woburn, Mass.) allowed one run in one inning of relief, but was credited with the win on the hill.
Chris Elliott (Plymouth, Mass.), Joseph Zawisza (Newington, Conn.), Kyle Cravatis (Beverly, Mass.), Ben Smith (Bourne, Mass.), Kevin Zarnoch Jr. (Boston, Mass.), Parker Bigelow (Leominster, Mass.), and Issiac Christiansen (Franklin, Maine) all threw scoreless innings in relief en route to the win. The staff combined to allow just four hits in the contest.
Next up for Worcester State, they will be back in action on Saturday afternoon for a 1 p.m. first pitch against Dean College at the New England Baseball Complex.
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