Baseball Splits Twinbill with Framingham State

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Bridgewater State College and Framingham State College spilt a Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) baseball doubleheader on Saturday at Framingham's Bowditch Field.

The Bears won the first game 5-3 before the Rams won the second by the identical score of 5-3.  Both teams are now 3-1 in the MASCAC as the Rams, who have equaled their win total from last season, improve to 10-11 on the season while the Bears are now 12-9 overall. 

In the first game, Bridgewater State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on a solo home run to right center by Tom Couet (East Freetown, Mass.) off Framingham State starter Charlie Spear (Exeter, NH). 

The Rams tied the game in the bottom of the inning as junior Sean Callahan (Watertown, Mass.) and Steven Tramontozzi (Watertown, Mass.) led off the inning with back-to-back singles.  Callahan came around to score the tying run on an RBI ground out to second by Joe Sheehan (Watertown, Mass.).

Framingham State scored twice in the fourth inning to take a 3-1 lead.  Tramontozzi homered to right with one out and Ryan McCarthy (Watertown, Mass.) doubled and came around to scored on an RBI single to right by shortstop Justin Wojcik (Dracut, Mass.).

After allowing the home run in the second, Spear cruised through the next four innings allowing only two hits.  The Bears were finally able to generate some offense in the top of the seventh.  Greg Steele (North Dighton, Mass.) struck out but reached on a passed ball and Brian Medairos (Brockton, Mass.) followed with a single.  After a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners with two outs, DH Matt Greenberg (Norwell, Mass.) hit a three run blast to right that put the Bears on top 5-3 and drove Spear out of the game.  Junior Matt Magazine (Marlborough, Mass.) came on and induced a ground out for the final out of the inning.

Junior Jeff Puopolo (Brockton, Mass.) retired the Rams in order in the seventh to secure the win for the Bears.  Puopolo, who picked up his third win of the season, went the distance for the Bears allowing three runs, all earned, on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts.  Greenberg was 1-for-3 in game one with three RBI, while Couet went 1-for-2 with two RBI.

Spear picked up the loss for the Rams as he went 6.2 innings allowing five runs (one earned) on five hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts.  Tramontozzi finished game one with two hits and an RBI.

In the second game, the Rams scored five runs in the first off Bridgewater State starting pitcher Brian Guillotte (New Bedford, Mass.).  Daniel Tomasz (Newburyport, Mass.) reached on an error to start the game, Will Crofton (Hopkinton, Mass.) followed with a single and Corey Ketterer (Plymouth, Mass.) singled to center scoring Tomasz with the game’s first run.  After a walk loaded the bases, McCarty doubled to center scoring two and Tramontozzi followed with a double that plated two more runs.  Sophomore Jim Balboni (Townsend, Mass.) came on in relief for the Bears and was able to get out of the inning.

The Bears were able to add a single run in the second off FSC starter Tommy Lindberg (Stratford, Conn.) as Steele singled, advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt and came around to score on an error.

Bridgewater State added singles runs in the fifth on an RBI double from Ian Williams (Taunton, Mass.) to make the score 5-2 and in the sixth on an RBI single from Medairos to reach the final margin of 5-3. 

Lindberg picked up the win for the Rams going five innings allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits, while Mike Cain (Gloucester, Mass.) picked up the save going two innings allowing one run on two hits.

Balboni pitched six innings of scoreless relief as he held the Rams to only two hits while striking out four.

The Rams return to action on Monday as they face Newbury at 3 p.m., while the Bears travel to Eastern Connecticut on Wednesday at 4 p.m.