Baseball Splits Twinbill with Gettysburg College

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- The Bridgewater State College baseball team split a doubleheader with Gettysburg College on Sunday afternoon at the RussMatt Dodgertown Invitational in Vero Beach, Florida.

The Bears (2-2) won the seven-inning opener 4-3 before Gettysburg (1-3) captured the nightcap 3-2.

In the first game, Bridgewater State scored the game-winning run in the top of the seventh. Gettysburg sophomore reliever Mike Odierna walked the first two batters he faced before giving way to senior Michael Sweeney.  Sweeny gave up a single to senior catcher Matt Greenberg (Norwell, MA) to load the bases before walking junior left fielder Ian Williams (Taunton, MA) to force in the go-ahead run.

The Bullets led 3-1 after a two-run fifth before the Bears answered with two runs of their own in the top of the sixth against junior starter Matt Karis, who struck out five and walked one in a no-decision.

Sophomore right-hander Jim Balboni (1-0) threw a complete game for Bridgewater State, striking out six. Balboni gave up six hits and walked two.  Two of the three runs he allowed were unearned.  Odierna (0-1) was charged with the loss.

The second game was also decided in the top of the final inning. With the score tied 2-2, Matt Karis ripped a one-out double to plate Cam Riera with the go ahead run. Riera had reached on a fielder's choice and stole second.

After yielding a pair of runs in the bottom of the first on a two-run single by junior right fielder Greg Steele (North Dighton, MA), Kyle Conklin (1-0) settled in to blank the Bears the rest of the way, striking out two and walking three.

Kevin Langhauser drove in each of the Bullets first two runs with singles in the third and the sixth.

Junior left-hander Billy Blaisdell (0-1) suffered the complete-game loss for Bridgewater State. Blaisdell allowed three runs on nine hits with three walks and six strikeouts.