Worcester State Takes Two from Baseball
Worcester, MA - The Worcester State College baseball team, winners of five straight and 13 of their last 16 games, swept the visiting Framingham State College Rams Saturday afternoon at Fitton Field on the campus of Holy Cross by the final scores of 7-4 and 7-3. The victories assure the Lancers a share of the MASCAC regular season title with tiebreakers determining seeding for the MASCAC tournament after tomorrow's MCLA/Mass Maritime doubleheader makeup. The Lancers, after missing the MASCAC playoffs a year ago, now sit just a win away from 20 on the season at 19-16 (9-5 MASCAC). Framingham State now stands with a record of 6-11 (3-11 MASCAC).
In game one, the Lancers scored single runs in the bottom of the first and second innings before exploding for five runs in the bottom of the third to put the game out of reach. The big blow in the front end of the doubleheader was a grand slam by senior Nate Nelson (Worcester, MA) who cleared the bases with a shot over the left field fence. Framingham scored three runs in the top of the fourth on a bases loaded, three RBI double by Michael Vona (Malden, MA) and one run in the top of the sixth on a solo homerun by Steven Tramontozzi (Watertown, MA) but they would get no closer as the Lancers held on for the, 7-4, win.
Joey Lucier (Brockton, MA) got his third win of the year
striking out nine in six innings of work. Junior Pat Good
(Hull, MA) earned his third save of the year pitching a perfect
seventh inning. Framingham starter Sean Tupper (Marlboro, MA)
took the loss.
Matt Hart (Easton, MA), Ryan Hawley (Shrewsbury, MA) and Johno
Hinkell (N. Adams, MA) each had two hits in the game for Worcester
State. A.J. LaBreque (Tyngsboro, MA) had a pair of hits in
the loss for the Rams.
In game two, the Rams jumped out to a, 1-0, lead in the top of the first when Tramontozzi singled home shortstop Joe Sheehan (Burlington, MA) who led off the game with a double. Worcester State responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Hart led off with a triple to center and scored on a ground out by Hawley. With two out, senior Chris Gusha (Rutland, MA) singled through the left side and scored on a double by Nelson to give Worcester State a lead that they would not relinquish.
The Lancers scored two more in the bottom of the second. Ryan LaPrade (Leominster, MA) hit a sacrifice fly to plate freshman Corey Abbascia (Shrewsbury, MA) who singled to center to lead off the inning. Hart followed with a double to score Raleigh who had singled earlier in the frame. With two out, senior catcher Chris Logan (Spencer, MA) drove home Hart with the third run if the inning.
Both teams would score two in the third inning to round out the scoring on the day. The Rams scored on a two RBI single by Vona and Worcester State's runs came as Nelson and Hinkell hit back to back solo homers to lead off the inning.
Craig McBride (Attleboro, MA) picked up his 4th win of the season while Evan Beauvais (W. Boylston, MA) took the loss.
Eight of the nine Lancer starters got hits in the nightcap with Hart and Nelson each getting two. Tramontozzi and Casey Hickey (Lee, MA) went 2-for-3 for the visitors while James Gibbons (Littleton, MA) went 2-for-4.
Worcester State will host Colby-Sawyer tomorrow afternoon at Fitton Field. Framingham State will play Newbury College on Monday.