Baseball Falls to Westfield in MASCAC Tournament Opener

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- Pete Hogan (Brockton),  Ben Wagner (Cumberland, R.I.) and Kevin Lyons (Braintree) slugged home runs in a five-run fifth-inning uprising to power Westfield State to an 8-5 victory over Bridgewater State in a first round game of the MASCAC Baseball Tournament.

Westfield (29-7) advances to the semifinals winner’s bracket game where it will host Worcester State on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Bridgewater State (17-19) takes on Framingham State in an elimination game on Saturday at 10:00 a.m.  No. 1 Westfield will host all remaining games of the double elimination tournament on Saturday and Sunday.

Hogan snapped a scoreless tie when he blasted a solo homer over the left field fence to lead off the fifth inning. Following a fielding error and a sacrifice bunt, Wagner ripped a two-run homer down the left field line. It was Wagner’s first collegiate homer in a school record 206 career hits.

Following the Bears’ second infield error in the inning, Lyons smashed a two-run homer to straightaway center field. The 2010 MASCAC player of the year now has eight homers and 54 RBI this season.

Bridgewater, which out-hit Westfield, 13-11, but stranded 11 base runners, scored single runs in the sixth and eighth innings to make the score 5-2.

The first run scored when Mark Claffey (Bellingham) walked with the bases loaded, which signaled the end of the day for Westfield starting pitcher Jesse Vermeersch (Marlboro).

Bret Siflinger (Framingham) relieved Vermeersch and got out of the jam with a strikeout looking and lineout to shortstop.

The Bears scored in the eighth when Claffey rapped a two-out single and scored on a double by John Garabedian (Mansfield).

Both teams scored three runs in their final at bats. Following two walks, Westfield third baseman Jeff Ackerman (Beverly) ripped an RBI single up the middle. Jeff Fields (Pittsfield) followed with a two-run double.

Bridgewater scored three unearned runs in its final at bat, with the big blow a two-run single by Tom Couet (Freetown).

Wagner was 3 for 5 with his big two-run homer while batting in the leadoff spot. Fields was 2 for 5 with two RBI and Ackerman was 2 for 2 with an RBI and two sacrifice bunts.

Couet led the Bears, going 3 for 5 with two RBI. Tyler Dennis (Stoughton), Brian Medairos (Brockton) and Claffey each collected two singles.

Vermeesch notched the pitching victory in boosting his record to 6-0. He gave up six hits and two walks and fanned two in five and a third innings.

Jeff Puopolo (Brockton) – the 2010 MASCAC pitcher of the year – suffered the setback and now has a 5-4 record. He pitched five complete innings and allowed seven hits, including the three home runs. He walked two and struck out five.