Baseball Swept by Worcester State

By Steven M. Miller, Jr.

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Worcester State College took a pair of games from Bridgewater State in a key MASCAC baseball doubleheader this afternoon at Assumption’s Rocheleau Field.

The Lancers won the first game 7-1 behind a dominant performance by senior right hander Joey Lucier (Brockton, MA) and the nightcap, 7-6, in extra frames off the bat of sophomore Jake Sanderski (Millbury, MA) with the bases juiced.

With the victories WSC is now 28-8-1 overall and 10-4 in MASCAC play while the Bears slip to 17-18 and 8-6 in the conference. 15th year head coach Dirk Baker also earned his 250th career triumph in the opening game victory.

The Lancers have earned the third seed in next week's MASCAC Baseball Tournament and will play #2 Framingham State on Thursday at a time and place to be announced. Fourth-seeded Bridgewater State takes on top seed Westfield State on Thursday at 3 PM. The winners and the losers will travel to Westfield for the semifinals on Saturday.

Lucier (6-2) hurled six solid innings in the first game for Worcester State as he allowed one run to go along with five hits. Lucier also fanned four and walked four as his lone blemish was a solo homer by BSC sophomore Greg Costa (Fairhaven, MA) in the second inning.

The Blue and Gold struck first blood in the bottom of the first as they touched second-year right hander Jim Balboni (Townsend, MA) for six runs. Balboni started off the inning getting the first two outs, but he then proceeded to plunk three consecutive batters to load the bases. The setback was Balboni’s first loss of the season as he is now 6-1.

Junior Johno Hinkell (North Adams, MA) and senior Nick Caparell (N. Attleboro, MA) notched RBIs to drive in a pair and then two more runs crossed the plate on an error in the outfield. After sophomore Tyler McElman (Marlboro, MA) scored on a double steal, Balboni soon faced the same situation as the Lancers batted around, but he ended the threat with a strikeout.

Worcester State tacked on another run in the bottom of the second for the 7-1 advantage as Caparell drove in junior Paul Rodriguez (San Antonio, TX) on a ground out.

Both pitchers then settled down as there was no scoring for the final five stanzas. Balboni set down 12 of the last 17 men that he would face as he went the distance for BSC. Balboni allowed seven runs (three earned) and four walks while he notched a pair of strikeouts.

Senior closer Kevin Hayes (Medford, MA) pitched a scoreless seventh to seal the win for the Blue and Gold.

Hinkell went 3-for-4 with two doubles as fourth-year Ryan LaPrade (Leominster, MA) went 2-for-3 with a pair of steals. Senior Brian Medairos (Brockton, MA) was the lone multi-hitter for the Bears as collected two hits including a two-bagger.

In the second contest, Bridgewater State opened the game with the early 2-0 advantage. After the first two batters reached, Medairos crossed the plate on a dropped fly by the leftfielder and then freshman David Pierce (E. Bridgewater, MA) drove in the second run with an RBI single.

Worcester State immediately responded in the bottom of the frame as they took the 4-2 edge on a two-run single by junior Nick Fluegge (Ware, MA) and a two-run homer by Rodriguez.

Both squads scored single runs in the third and fourth innings as the score was 6-4 after four complete. The scoring was highlighted by a solo homer by Pierce in the third and junior Corey McDonald (Hudson, MA) plated freshman Chris Creen (Worcester, MA/St. John’s) who led off the fourth with his MASCAC leading fourth triple of the season.

After a scoreless fifth, Bridgewater State used the top of the sixth to knot the score up 6-6. First-year left handed reliever Shaun Slattery (Gardner, MA) yielded three consecutive singles to load the bases. He then spun a double-play, but junior Ian Williams (Taunton, MA) scampered home for the first run.

Hayes was then summoned and he hit the first two that he faced and allowed a walk to bring in the second run, but he would end the inning and the threat with a strikeout.

Hayes and third-year right hander Jeff Puopolo (Brockton, MA) would put up zeros until the Lancers rallied in the bottom of the ninth.

Fluegge started things off with a double before the Bears loaded the bases with an intentional walk to Rodriguez and a hit batter. That’s when Sanderski was called upon to pinch hit and he lined the first pitch that he saw into left field for the game ending base knock.

Puopolo (5-3) started the game for the Bears and threw 166 pitches in eight innings of work. Puopolo gave up seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits while he fanned seven and walked four. From the fifth to the eighth innings, Puopolo would retire 12 of 16 batters which included a bases loaded situation in the sixth.

Senior right hander Mike Borowiec (Spencer, MA) earned a no decision as he allowed four runs (one earned) off of six hits. Borowiec tallied three strikeouts and three free passes. In Hayes’s school record 56th appearance, he improved his season mark to 2-1 with the win in relief.

Fluegge went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs in the first game while McDonald and Creen notched two hits apiece for WSC. Pierce along with senior’s Mark Claffey (Bellingham, MA) and Matt Greenburg (Norwell, MA) and freshman John Garabedian (Mansfield, MA) all finished with two hits for the Bridgewater State.