Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Lancers (0-0, 0-0 MASCAC) opened up season play with a trip to Central Florida where they faced off against the Roger Williams Hawks (8-0, 0-0 CCC).
FINAL: ROGER WILLIAMS 10 | LANCERS 1
HOW IT HAPPENED?:
On the mound for today for Worcester was lefty senior Ben Smith (Bourne, MA). Smith boasts a 2.11 ERA in 115 innings pitches throughout his Lancer tenure. The Opening Day starter has compiled 119 strikeouts, good for a K/9 of 9.29, allowing only two home runs.
The Hawks trotted out junior Lucas Lariviere (1-0, 7.20 ERA) (Cumberland, RI). Lariviere made his season debut on March 9th against Penn. State-Altoona allowing four earned runs on seven hits. He walked three batters, striking out five in the win.
During the top of the first, Smith pitched a clean one-two-three innings, adding his first strikeout of the season when the senior put away senior London Camelo (Bristol, RI) as he was swinging.
The team received their first hit of the season when transfer senior Frankie Hernandez (Framingham, MA) ripped a double to right center field. Hernandez eventually was stranded on base.
The first test of Smith's season arose in the third inning when the Hawks made noise. With one out, junior Ty Cali (Taunton, MA) singled up the middle giving Roger Williams its first hit of the game. Teammate senior Aidan Hawley (Natick, MA) followed with a base knock advancing Cali to second. Cali displayed his speed, stealing third presenting the Lancers with a one-out, runners on first and third situation. Graduate student Christopher Flynn reached base on a fielder's choice for the second out as Hawley was forced out at second base. Runner's at first and third and now two outs, Smith walked London Camelo to load the bases for Hawks cleanup hitter senior Jack Morin (North Andover, MA). Smith forced Morin to foul a ball to right field that stayed in the park to get himself out of the bases-loaded jam unharmed.
Roger Williams found their groove in the fifth inning, scoring five runs on four hits. The Lancers still getting their legs under themselves in their first game of the year wouldn't help themselves adding three errors in the half inning. The inning would begin with Smith striking out the first two batters. Junior Dennis Folan (Medfield, MA) reached base on an error by junior centerfielder Anthony Iamarone (Providence, RI), advancing Folan to second base. Senior Nick Sheehan took advantage of the extra hitter as he singled to bring home Folan, advancing to second on the throw with his team now up 1-0. Sheehan wound up on third after stealing, scoring on a single from Ty Cali, the score now 2-0. Aidan Hawley at the plate singled to advance Cali to second. Both runners advanced to second and third on a double steal. Smith hit graduate student (Randolph, NJ) to load the bases with two outs. London Camelo now at bat reached base on an error from shortstop junior Xavier Quezada (Providence, RI), scoring Cali to bring the score to 3-0 while advancing Hawley to third and Flynn to second. Morin at the plate again looking for revenge found it, singling to score Hawley and Flynn making it a 5-0 ballgame. Camelo found himself at third on a throwing error from Quezada. Morin stole second before Smith was able to regain control and strikeout junior Rory Lynch (Easton, Conn.) to end the inning.
Worcester attempted to regain some of those runs back but unfortunately weren't able to as they left three runners on base the next half inning. Leading off the inning, junior Tyler Smith (Leominster, MA) was hit by a pitch. Anthony Iamarone singled to left advancing Smith to second with one out. Hernandez singled up the middle for his second hit of the morning to load the bases for senior Colin Fitzgerald (Auburn, MA). Lariviere now locked in struck out Fitzgerald for the second out, also being able to force sophomore Nathan Thurber (Framingham, MA) to fly out, getting himself out of the jam.
Second-year coach Phil Price turned to the bullpen for relief calling upon sophomore Nolan Turner (Barnstable, MA) to replace Smith who finished with four innings pitched, six hits, five runs, zero earned runs, two walks, and five strikeouts. Turner walked the first batter he faced, allowing Folan to single for runners on first and second, no outs. Senior Nick Sheehan (Medway, MA) bunted which scored Hibbard on an error from first baseman Hernandez. The Lancers got their first out of the inning with the Hawks attempting to steal with Folan being thrown out at the plate as Sheehan advanced to second. Turner struck out Cali for the second out of the inning, walking the next batter Hawley. Christopher Flynn doubled with a ball hit into right field to score Sheehan and advance Hawley to third, the score 6-0. Hawley scored on a wild pitch that advanced Flynn to third, the score now 8-0. Turner got himself out of the inning striking out his second batter of the inning.
Price once again called to the pen in relief in the top of the sixth, this time bringing in junior pitcher Jarret Morrill (Chelmsford, MA). The first batter saw Jack Morin hit a double to left field. Morrill regained composure to strike out his first batter of the season. Morin advanced to third on a passed ball. Dennis Folan followed with a home run to center field, giving Roger Williams a 10-0 lead. Morrill got Sheehan to strike out while swinging to put the inning away.
During the bottom of the sixth, Worcester found a way to put up its first run of the year. Tyler Smith doubled to right field to start off the half-inning. Senior Tom Halliwell (Leominster, MA) grounded out to second, advancing Smith to third. Iamarone grounded to third to score Smith to cut the deficit to 10-1.
First-year Dylan White replaced Morrill on the mound in the top of the seventh. Whites' first appearance for Worcester was quick, getting three batters in a row to pop out. White went on to strike out five more Hawks allowing no runs in the top of the eighth and ninth to continue his dominant relief appearance.
Sophomore JT Gunzy replaced Lucas Lariviere as the junior had a stellar morning allowing one earned run with twelve strikeouts while giving up four hits. First-year Jeremy DeLacruz (Lowell, MA) recorded his first collegiate hit after the change. The Lancers added one more hit in the top of the ninth as Frankie Hernandez earned his third of the day on a single to left. It was not enough as the Lancers dropped their first game of the season.
UPDATED RECORDS:
With the loss, the Lancers fall to (0-1, 0-0 MASCAC) while Roger Williams improves to (9-0, 0-0 CCC).
WHAT'S NEXT?:
Worcester will take the field against St. Lawrence for a double-header in Central Florida tomorrow, Sunday, March 17th at 9 AM and 11 AM as they continue their annual Spring Break trip.