Bridgewater State Advances To 2011 MASCAC Baseball Championship Game, Bears To Face Winner Of Westfield State-Worcester State Halted Game
Third-seeded Bridgewater State is in the driver's seat in the 2011 MASCAC Baseball Championships, as the Bears advanced to the title game with a 13-9 12-inning victory over top-seeded Westfield State on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field in Westfield, Mass. Bridgewater State will face the winner of the second elimination game between the host Owls and second-seeded Worcester State, which was halted after seven innings due to darkness with the score tied at 7-7
Courtesy Westfield State Sports Information
Bridgewater State 13, Westfield State 9 (12 innings)
WESTFIELD, Mass. – Bridgewater State scored four runs in the top of the 12th inning to snap a 9-all and outlast Westfield State, 13-9, in the winner’s bracket game of the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) tournament baseball championships on Saturday, May 7.
No. 3 seed Bridgewater, 22-14, with a six-game winning streak, advances to the championship game of the double-elimination tournament where it will play Worcester State or Westfield. The championship game is Sunday at 12:00 at Westfield, with an if necessary game to follow.
Westfield and Bridgewater traded leads throughout the 12-inning tournament classic, with the Bears finally breaking through for four runs in the third extra frame.
Three walks, including an intentional pass, loaded the bases with two outs in Bridgewater’s final at bat. John Garabedian (Mansfield) then hit a slow roller down the third base line that he barely beat out for an infield single to drive in the game-winning run. A throwing error allowed another run to score on the play to make it 11-9. Joshua Ferreira (Fall River) drove in the final two runs with a double to deep left-center.
Westfield had scoring opportunities in the 10th and 11th with runners at first and second and one out in both innings but the Owls were unable to deliver the game-winning hit.
Westfield held a 9-8 lead heading into the top of the ninth as sophomore Andrew Medeiros (Acushnet) rapped a runscoring single in the bottom of the eighth to snap an 8-8 tied. Medeiros was 4 for 6 with four RBI on the day.
But the Bears sent the game into extra innings with a run in the ninth. Pierce laced a one-out single up the middle and advanced to second on a walk. Ian Williams (Taunton) then drove home the game-tying run with a single up the middle. Westfield got out of the first and second one-out jam when rightfielder Alex Cloutier made a nice diving catch and doubled the runner off second base.
Bridgewater jumped out to a 4-0 lead by scoring four times in the third, with the big blow a three-run double by David Pierce (East Bridgewater), who was 3 for 7 with three RBI.
Westfield scored three runs in the home half of the third, including two unearned runs, but Bridgewater countered with an unearned run in the fourth for a 5-3 lead.
The Owls took their first lead, 7-5, with a four-run uprising in the fourth, highlighted by Josh Blair’s (Westfield) three-run homer to deep left-center.
But Bridgewater used the long ball to regain the lead, 8-7, on Corey Batista’s (Fall River) three-run homer in the sixth.
Westfield knotted the score at 8-8 in the bottom of the sixth when Kevin Greene (Worcester) tripled and scored on Medeiros’ RBI single.
Westfield out-hit Bridgewater, 16-14. Matt Kelly (Weymouth) and Pete Grillo (Shrewsbury) were 2 for 5 for the Owls.
Garabedian was 2 for 5 with a double, two runs scored and his game-winning RBI. Jose Polanco was 2 for 5 and Tyler Dennis was 2 for 5 with a double.
Jim Balboni (5-0) pitched effectively in relief for the pitching victory. He entered the game in the ninth and threw three and two-thirds innings, allowing four hits and two walks and striking out three. Ferreira earned a save, getting the game’s final out with runners at first and second.
Tommy Carroll, the fourth of five Owl hurlers, was credited with the loss.
Westfield State 7, Worcester State 7 (Halted after seven innings, darkness)
WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Westfield State-Worcester State semifinal elimination game in the MASCAC baseball tournament was halted because of darkness on Saturday, May 7, after seven complete innings with the score tied at 7-7.
The game will be picked up in the top of the eighth inning on Sunday, May 8, at 10:00 a.m. The winner will advance to the championship game vs. Bridgewater State. The championship game is scheduled to begin at 12:00 with an if necessary game to immediately follow.
Westfield jumped out to an early 2-0 lead vs. Worcester State on a first-inning home run by Dale Crispin. The Lancers scored three runs third and four in the fourth to take a 7-2 lead. The big hitters were Paul Rodriguez (2 for 4, double, four RBI) and Chris Creen (two doubles, two RBI).
Westfield knotted the score at 7-7 with a five-run uprising in the fourth, with the big blow a game-tying three-run homer by Josh Blair.
Worcester State 14, Salem State 0
WESTFIELD, Mass. –Senior Bobby DeVito (Webster, MA) tossed a complete-game three-hitter and senior Nick Fluegge (Ware, MA) went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a home run as second-seeded Worcester State routed No 4 seed Salem State, 14-0, Saturday morning, May 7, in the loser’s bracket game of the MASCAC Tournament semifinals.
The Lancers (23-13) will play the loser of the winner’s bracket game between top-seed Westfield State and #3 Bridgewater State at approximately 3:30 p.m. today. Salem State sees its 2011 campaign end at 16-20.
The Blue and Gold shrugged off the rust by scoring seven times on six hits in the bottom of the first inning, taking advantage of an infield error.
Fluegge, junior Jack Rafferty (Thompson, CT), junior Joe Eramo (Shirley, MA), senior Corey McDonald (Hudson, MA) all chipped in with RBIs while senior Paul Rodriguez (San Antonio, TX) had a two-run single in the frame.
WSU added to its lead with a run in the second and two more in the third. Fluegge jacked out his 30th career home run with a solo shot in the second before McDonald and sophomore Nick Gezotis (Westfield, MA) each plated runs in the following inning.
In the sixth, Fluegge drew a walk to start the inning then sophomore Chris Creen (Worcester, MA/St. John’s) launched his first home run of the season to help give the Lancers the 12-0 advantage.
The Lancers tacked on two more runs in the seventh on a run-producing single by sophomore Nick Bonofiglio (Worcester, MA/Holy Name) and a sacrifice fly by classmate Kurt Sabacinski (Worcester, MA/Holy Name).
DeVito (5-1) was outstanding as he fanned six and allowed one walk for his second shutout of the season. In three out of the first five innings of the contest, DeVito allowed a base-runner, but the outstanding defense behind him turned a season-high three double plays.
DeVito remains fourth on WSU’s all-time strikeout list with 157 punchouts in 189 career innings. DeVito is now alone in second place in the record books with the second most wins boosting a career record of 17-3.
Junior Matt Padovanni (Lynnfield, MA) shouldered the setback for the Vikings as his record drops to 1-7 on the season. Salem State used four pitchers out of the bullpen as sophomore Andrew Guido (Peabody, MA) retired six straight a scoreless eighth and ninth.
Senior Ryan Kane (Nahant, MA), freshman Kyle McElroy (Newburyport, MA) and junior Eric Junker (Rockport, MA) had the Viking hits.
Eleven of Worcester State’s 13 base-knocks in its balanced attack were singles.