Andrews and Riga Toss Complete Games as Baseball Sweeps Bridgewater State
Bridgewater, Mass. -- The visiting Framingham State University baseball team swept a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader with Bridgewater State University on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Park. Framingham State won the opener, 3-2, and completed the sweep with a 5-1 victory in game two.
The Rams improve to 15-14 on the season and 6-4 in the MASCAC, while the host Bears fall to 4-17 overall and 0-8 in conference play
Senior Mike Andrews (Stoneham, Mass.) picked up the complete game win in game one. Andrews (3-3) gave up two runs on eight hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
Colin Josselyn (Hanson, Mass.) pitched well in the setback for Bridgewater State. Josselyn went the distance allowing three runs on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
Senior Cameron Borrelli (Peabody, Mass.) doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior Kyle Lippert (Carlsbad, Calif.) to give the Rams a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.
A bases loaded RBI grounder by Matt Levasseur (Milton, Mass.) for the Bears knotted the score at 1-1.
An RBI single to center field by senior Kyle Pileski (Bristol, Conn.) scored junior Jordan Pallazola (Rockport, Mass.) to give the Rams the 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth.
The Rams padded their lead (3-1) in the fifth, when a two-out double by junior Aaron Williams (Brockton, Mass.) drove in classmate Kyle Dembrowski (Natick, Mass.) all the way from first.
Bridgewater was quick to answer in the bottom of the fifth (3-2) as Tyler Morini (Plymouth, Mass.) grounded out to shortstop, allowing Randy Frazier (Wareham, Mass.) to score on contact. Frazier singled to lead off the inning, moved to second on Ryan Kelleher's (Danvers, Mass.) base hit and to third on a ground out.
Unfortunately, that would do it for the Bears offense in game one as they weren't able to move a man past second base for the last two innings.
Frazier reached safely in all three of his plate appearances as he went 3-for-3.
Senior Christopher Riga (Westfield, Mass) sealed the sweep for the Rams with a complete game showing in game two. Riga (3-3) allowed only one run on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
David Kearns (Cambridge, Mass) (0-2) pitched a solid five innings for the Bears allowing four earned runs on five hits with one walk and four punch-outs.
Pallazola staked the Rams to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first as he drove a Kearns' offering well over the left field fence.
The Bears' offense responded quickly in the bottom of the first as they pieced together four hits including singles by Sean Casey (Braintree, Mass), Alex Carey (East Bridgewater, Mass), Frazier, and Alexander Pappas (Lakeville, Mass.). Pappas drove in Casey from third to knot the game up at 1-1.
An RBI single by Pileski and a two out double by sophomore Anthony Venuti (Braintree, Mass) in the fourth gave the Rams a 4-1 lead.
Williams added a sacrifice fly in the seventh to account for the final score of 5-1.
Between games, Bridgewater State held a ceremony to honor Head Coach Rick Smith. Smith is retiring at the conclusion of the 2018 season following 25 years as the Bears' skipper.
The Bears travel to MCLA on Sunday afternoon (1:00 PM) for a MASCAC doubleheader with the Trailblazers. The Rams head to Salem State University on Tuesday afternoon (2:00 PM) for a pair of conference games with the Vikings.
Release courtesy of BSU Sports Information