Baseball Sweeps MCLA 7-2 and 6-3

Northborough, Mass. – The Framingham State University baseball team swept both ends of a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader with MCLA this evening at the New England Baseball Complex. The Rams took the opener by a score of 7-2 before securing a 6-3 victory in game two.

With the wins, the Rams improve to 6-12 on the year and are now 2-2 in the conference. The pair of losses drops the Trailblazers to 3-13 overall and 0-4 in the MASCAC.

The Rams broke open a 2-2 game in the top of the seventh with three homeruns in the frame.  Senior Jon Chapman struck first with a black to center and junior Ryan Wardwell followed with a solo homer to right.  After two men got on base, sophomore Kyle Pileski followed with a three run bomb to left to put the Rams up 7-2.

Prior to the seventh, the game was a pitcher's duel between Framingham senior Zack Kirby and MCLA's Liam Nolan with both pitchers allowing two runs apiece through the first six innings.  Kirby earned the victory tossing a complete game allowing two earned runs on eight hits with a walk and 12 strikeouts.  Nolan cruised through the first six innings before struggling in the seventh. Nolan went 6.2 innings and allowed five earned runs on nine hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts.

The Rams opened up a 2-0 lead with a single run in the first on a groundout from senior RJ Gray and an RBI double by classmate Jake Wardwell in the top of the fifth.

The Trailblazers tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double to deep center by Nolan and a run scoring base hit by Myles Candelet.

The Rams once again grabbed the early lead in game two with five runs in the top of the second inning.  Junior Manny Powers plated the first run with a single to right. Freshman Kyle Lippert walked with the bases loaded and Jake Wardwell was hit with them loaded to force in two more runs.  Chapman once again came through with a clutch hit belting a two run single to right for the 5-0 advantage.

Nolan got the Trailblazers on the board in the bottom of the third with an RBI single, but Jake Wardwell plated a run with an infield single in the top of the sixth to push the lead back to five.  Nolan came through for the Trailblazers once again in the bottom of the sixth with a two run homer to left cutting the lead to 6-3, but that was as close as the Trailblazers would get.

Senior Dillon Corliss earned the victory on the hill going six innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts.  Freshman Blake Waters earned the save tossing an inning of relief without allowing a hit.

The Rams are back in action on Sunday when they travel to Tufts University at 1:30 p.m., while the Trailblazers are scheduled to host Skidmore on Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m.