Baseball Opens 2013 Campaign with Doubleheader Split with Apprentice

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team opened the 2013 college baseball season with a doubleheader split with the Apprentice School on Saturday afternoon at the Vero Beach Sports Village. The Bears posted a 3-1 victory in the opener and then dropped a 7-3 decision in game two.

Kenny Pennini (Millis, Mass.) earned the complete game victory for the Bears (1-1) in game one as he gave up just one run on five hits while striking out six.

Trailing 1-0 after two innings, the Bears tied it in the third on an RBI single by David Pierce (East Bridgewater, Mass.). Bridgewater took a 2-1 lead an inning later as Craig Stewart (Brockton, Mass.) led off the frame with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a two-out balk.

The Bears rounded out the scoring with another single run in the fifth. Sean Riley (Fairhaven, Mass.) opened the inning with an infield single and, one out later, moved to second on another balk. After advancing to third on a groundout, Riley came around to score on Trevor Lawson's (Easton, Mass.) RBI single.

Riley led BSU's nine-hit attack as he went 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs.

Cody Norris suffered the loss on the mound for Apprentice (11-2) as he worked the first 3 2/3 innings. Norris gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits while fanning two.

In game two, the Bears committed three errors which led to three unearned runs while the BSU moundsmen walked eight batters in the 7-3 setback.

Lucas Cimmino (Westfield, Mass.) allowed seven runs, only four of which were earned, over 3 1/3 innings to pick up the loss on the hill. Cimmino gave up six hits, walked five batters and fanned five.

Trailing 2-0 after a half inning, the Bears rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom half of the first to tie the game. Riley double and score on Pierce's RBI single. Pierce moved to second on a walk to Jake Scott (Somerset, Mass.) and came around to score on Stewart's RBI base hit.

Apprentice took the lead for good with three runs in the top of the second inning. Zach Harding doubled and scored on a wild pitch, Trevin Wilson scored on a passed ball and Devorn Lake singled in Chris Aldridge to put the Builders up 5-2.

Bridgewater scratched across a run in the second as Nicholas White (Bellingham, Mass.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded which scored Riley who had singled to start the two-out rally.

The Builders would put up a two-spot in the top of the fourth as Mark Labrador doubled in Chris Scarola and Aldridge to round out the scoring.

Sam Massie came on in relief of starter Chad Gurganus and earned the win throwing 3.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Labrador finished the game throwing two innings with a pair of strikeouts and one hit allowed.

Riley once again led the Bears offensively as he had two (2-for-4) of the team's five hits and scored two runs. Joseph Sever (Brockton, Mass.) pitched well in relief in his collegiate debut as he hurled three shutout innings with three walks and three strikeouts.

Bridgewater returns to the diamond on Sunday with a 9 AM game against Richard Stockton and a four o'clock afternoon affair with Wesley College.