Kirby Leads Baseball to Game Two Victory in Split with Salem State
Salem, Mass. – Senior Zack Kirby (Rochester, Mass.) hurled a complete game four hit shutout in game two as the Framingham State University baseball team split a pair of game with Salem State University this afternoon in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action. The Rams took game two 2-0 after the Vikings took the opener 1-0.
With the split the Rams improve to 16-10 on the year and are 5-3 in the conference, while the Vikings move to 14-10 on the year and are 4-2 in the MASCAC.
Mike Richardson (Belmont, Mass.) fired a no-hitter in the opener to lead Salem to the victory. Richardson allowed just one Ram to reach base on a third inning walk while striking out six.
Right fielder Kevin Carens (Northborough, Mass.) made a nice catch on a flare off the bat of Mark Mainini (Hull, Mass.) that was the closest the Rams would come to a hit in the opener.
Sophomore Mike Andrews (Stoneham, Mass.) was equally effective in keeping the Vikings off the scoreboard for the Rams. Andrews (2-3) scattered seven hits and recorded two strikeouts, but gave up the lone run in the third. Richard Fecteau (Newbury, Mass.) sliced a double into the left field corner, and came home on a fielder's choice after Framingham State failed to turn a double play on a very close play at first.
Neither team threated again as both pitchers settled in, combing for just two walks in a game that took just one hour and fifteen minutes to play.
Fecteau and George Tsonis (Peabody, Mass.) finished with two hits apiece for Salem State.
Kirby (4-1) went the distance in the second game, striking out eight while allowing just two walks. The senior worked out of a sixth inning jam when the Rams were leading by a score of 1-0. Following a double steal by Carens and Fecteau that put runners on second and third with just one out, Kirby recorded the last two outs, the final one a strikeout to preserve the lead.
Framingham State scored the only run it would need in the bottom of the first. Senior Kevin Driscoll (Chelmsford, Mass.) walked and following a steal, came home on a single by senior Billy Derosier (Shrewsbury, Mass.).
The Rams added an insurance run in the sixth when Derosier hit his league-leading sixth homerun to make the score 2-0.
Vikings starter Will Twiss (Masconomet, Mass.) pitched well, as he allowed just two runs on six hits with three strikeouts in the loss.
Salem State travels to Endicott this Thursday for a 3:30 p.m. start, while Framingham State hosts UMass-Dartmouth at the New England Baseball Complex in Northboro, Mass. at 7 p.m. tomorrow.
Release courtesy of SSU Sports Information.