Baseball Sweeps Westfield State with a Pair of Walk Off Hits
Framingham, Mass. – The Framingham State University baseball team scored runs in the bottom of the seventh of both games of a doubleheader to earn a pair of walk off victories and sweep Westfield State University, 4-3 and 2-1, in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action at Bowditch Field.
With the wins the Rams improve to 17-13 on the year and 7-3 in the conference which places the Rams in a tie for second place in the conference with Worcester State, who they face on Monday. The Owls fall to 12-13-1 with the losses and 4-6 in the MASCAC.
Westfield State took the early 1-0 lead in the opener with a run in their first at bat. Dan McCormack (Shelton, Conn.) singled to lead off the game and moved to second on a ground out. After a walk, Danny DiMatteo (Dennis, Mass.) drove in McCormack with an RBI single.
The Rams answered with a run in their first at bat. Mark Mainini (Hull, Mass.) led off with a double and scored on an RBI single by Billy Derosier (Shrewsbury, Mass.).
Westfield took the lead back in the top of the second with a pair of runs. Kyle Colesanti (Mount Kisco, MY) doubled and came around to score on an RBI ground out by McCormack. Jeremy Tanguay (Huntington, Mass.), who singled, also came in to score on the play on a Rams error.
The Rams got two back in the bottom of the third on a two run double by senior Ivan Colon (Waltham, Mass.) that plated Jake Wardwell (Hudson, Mass.), who had singled, and Derosier, who was hit by a pitch.
The game would remain locked at 3-3 until the Rams final at bat. Wardwell laced a one out single and moved to second on a passed ball. Derosier would drive Wardwell home with a base hit to secure the victory for the Rams.
Sophomore Dillon Corliss (Winterport, ME) picked up the victory improving his season record to 5-2. Corliss went the distance allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Kevin Zyrkowski (Hingham, Mass.) picked up the loss for the Owls tossing 3 2/3 innings of relief allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts.
Framingham freshman Mike Andrews (Stoneham, Mass.) and Westfield junior Peter Cassidy (Bluffton, SC) were locked in a pitcher's duel in game two as both pitchers surrendered just one run heading into the seventh.
Andrews was able to retire the side in order in the top of the seventh, but Cassidy surrendered the game-winning run in the bottom. Freshman Manny Powers (Malden, Mass.) led off the bottom of the inning with a single, moved to second on passed ball, and scored on an RBI hit down the left field line by John Gill (Hudson, Mass.).
Andrews improved his season mark to 7-0 with the victory allowing one unearned run on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Cassidy allowed two runs, one earned, on eight hits four strikeouts and no walks in six plus innings of work.
The Rams took the lead in the bottom of the second inning when Powers singled home Matt Gerard (Milford, Mass.) who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.
The Owls tied the game in the top of the third when they scored a run on an error in the Rams infield.
Mainini, Powers, and Colon all picked up two hits for the Rams in game two, while McCormack went 2-for-4 for the Owls.
Both teams are back in action on Monday with conference doubleheaders. The Rams travel to Worcester State at 12 p.m., while the Owls host conference leader Salem State at 12 p.m.