Baseball Secures Second Seed In MASCAC Tournament with Sweep of Fitchburg State
Framingham, Mass. — Junior Sean Callahan (Watertown, Mass.) belted a three run walk off home run to propel the Rams to a 5-4 win over Fitchburg State in game one of a Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) baseball doubleheader at Bowditch Field this afternoon. Outfielder Will Crofton (Hopkinton, Mass.) hit a two run shot in the bottom of the sixth of game two to snap a 5-5 tie and lift the Rams to a 7-5 win.
With the two wins, the Rams improve to 23-15 overall which ties the school record for wins in a single season with the 1997 and 1996 teams when the Rams went 23-12. The Rams also post their best conference record as they finish 11-3 in the MASCAC in sole possession of second place in the standings. Framingham State will be the second seed in next week’s MASCAC Tournament and they will host third seed Worcester State who swept Bridgewater State this afternoon.
In the first game, the Falcons scored two runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by junior Ricky Graham (Walpole, Mass.) to break a 2-2 tie and take a 4-2 lead.
Crofton doubled to lead off the Rams half of the fifth, but Fitchburg State pitcher Michal Mercier (Townsend, Mass.) retired the next eight batters in a row and was just one out away from the win. With two outs in the seventh, Crofton started the Rams comeback with a single and Corey Ketterer (Plymouth, Mass.) followed with a single of his own setting the table for Callahan’s second walk off homerun of the season.
Crofton went 3-for-3 in game one with three runs scored, while Callahan went 2-for-4 with four RBI. Joe Sheehan (Burlington, Mass.) and Ketterer picked up two hits apiece.
Mike Cain (Gloucester, Mass.) picked up the win in game one for the Rams pitching an inning of scoreless relief, while starter Charlie Spear (Exeter, NH) went six innings allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits with three walks.
In game two, the Falcons jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead as Andrew Foster (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) doubled in the top of the first and came around to score on a single from Dave Alexander (Torrington, Conn.). The Falcons added two more in the top of the second to extend their lead to 3-0.
The Rams responded with two in the bottom of the second on RBI
hits by senior Ryan McCarthy (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Sheehan.
After Fitchburg scored two runs in the top of the fourth on an RBI ground out by Graham and error by Framingham, outfielder Steven Tramontozzi (Watertown, Mass.) led off the bottom of the frame with a solo homerun to left and Danny Chaisson (Watertown, Mass.) doubled and scored on an RBI ground out from Justin Wojcik (Dracut, Mass.) to make the score 5-4 Fitchburg after four.
The Rams tied the game with an unearned run in the fifth and took the lead in the bottom of the sixth on Crofton’s two run shot that made the score 7-5.
Cain pitched a scoreless seventh to pick up his fourth save of the season, while starter Tommy Lindberg (Stratford, Conn.) picked up the win going six innings allowing five runs, three earned, on 11 hits.