Baseball Advances In ECAC Tournament with 10-5 Win Over Suffolk
Quincy, Mass. – The Framingham State College Rams scored 10 unanswered runs over the final three innings to top the Suffolk University Rams (21-17) by a 10-5 margin tonight in one quarterfinal of the ECAC Division III New England Baseball Tournament. With the win, the Rams, who improve to 24-17 on the season, set a new school record for wins in a season and advance to the semifinals on Saturday where they will face top seed Curry College, who defeated Daniel Webster this afternoon in another quarterfinal game.
Junior Matthew Magazine (Marlborough, Mass.) came on in relief in the second inning and tossed 7.1 innings of scoreless relief. Magazine, who improves to 5-0 on the season, surrendered only seven hits to Suffolk while striking out four and only walking one.
A five-run eighth inning was the difference in the ball game as Framingham State sent 10 hitters to the plate taking advantage of two Suffolk errors and a pair of walks. Junior Corey Ketterer (Plymouth, Mass.) got the inning started by singling with one out. Junior Sean Callahan (Watertown, Mass.) then doubled and Steven Tramontozzi (Watertown, Mass.) followed with a walk to load the bases. Down 0-2, junior Danny Chaisson (Watertown, Mass.) lined a single into left knocking home a run to cut the deficit to 5-3, chasing Suffolk starter Alex Torres (Framingham, Mass.) from the game.
Junior Joe Sheehan (Burlington, Mass.) would then draw a bases loaded walk on four straight pitches to make it 5-4. Framingham State then grabbed the lead taking advantage of a Suffolk throwing error as senior Ryan McCarthy (Shrewsbury, Mass.) grounded into a fielder’s choice, but the errant throw went down the first base line plating a pair of runs to give Framingham State a 6-5 edge. Junior Justin Wojcik (Dracut, Mass.) singled later in the inning bringing home another run.
Framingham State would take advantage of Suffolk again in the ninth, plating three more runs as they were handed four walks. After three straight walks to load the bases, Chaisson drove in his second run of the game with a sacrifice fly to right which scored senior Marc Massarotti (Watertown, Mass.), who has been a key contributor off the bench in thirty games this season for the Rams. Connor Moriarty (Danville, NH), who pinch ran for McCarthy in the 8th inning, would pick up an RBI later in the inning as Suffolk walked in their second run of the game with the bases loaded. Wojcik added some insurance with an RBI-single later in the inning.
Suffolk jumped out to a quick start scoring five runs in the second inning, all with two outs. Freshman Chris Stanley (Orange County, Calif.) got the scoring stared as he doubled over the first baseman’s head driving in a pair of runs. Senior Bobby Barrett (Milton, Mass.) followed him with a triple off the right field fence to make it 4-0. Junior Andrew Babb (Ashland, Mass.) followed him up with a RBI single back up the middle as the Suffolk offense looked strong early.
Magazine would quiet Suffolk’s bats and did
not allow a Suffolk base runner to reach third base over the next
seven innings. Junior Charlie Spear (Exeter, N.H.) started
for Framingham State and only lasted 1 2/3 innings giving up five
unearned runs on four hits.
Suffolk starter Alex Torres pitched well, but was a victim to a poor performance from the bullpen. Torres cruised through the first six innings only allowing three hits, but ran into some trouble in the seventh. Torres allowed eight hits in 7.1innings of work, while only giving up four earned runs and striking out six.
Wojcik finished the game 4-for-4 with a walk and two RBI, while Tramontozzi went 2-for-2 with three walks. Chaisson went 1-for-3 with two RBI, while McCarthy also chipped in two RBI.