Baseball Drops Pair of Games to #24 Wheaton

NORTON, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team dropped a pair of games to 24th ranked Wheaton College on Friday afternoon at Sidell Stadium. The host Lyons won the first game, 1-0, and completed the sweep with a 7-3 victory in the nightcap.

WHEATON 1, BRIDGEWATER STATE 0

Wheaton senior starter Nick Filloramo (Rochester, Mass.) bumped his record to 2-1 on the season with a complete game effort on three hits, zero walks and a five strikeouts. From the second inning to the fourth, Filloramo strung together eight-straight outs using four fly outs, three ground outs and one punchout.

Bridgewater State sophomore David Holmes (Easton, Mass.) was tagged with the loss despite pitching well.  Holmes gave up a run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings.

The Lyons cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the second as junior catcher Zach Horton (North Attleboro, Mass.) ripped an RBI double down the right field line plating classmate Mike Bisceglia (New Boston, N.H.) for a 1-0 lead.

Junior third baseman Justin Peluso (North Reading, Mass.) nearly gave Wheaton a 2-0 advantage trying to score from first base but a perfect relay throw (9-4-2) from right field beat Peluso at the plate to end the frame.

BSU sophomore designated hitter John Mulready (Rockland, Mass.) was the only player from either team to have multiple hits in the game.  Mulready singled and doubled in three at bats.

WHEATON 7, BRIDGEWATER STATE 3

Freshman Jack Fant (Independence, Va.) earned the victory over five-plus innings of work, four hits, zero runs, one walk and two strikeouts. Senior Gordy Thomas (Wellesley, Mass.) ended a bases loaded, no out scoring threat in the sixth using a foul out to first, a strikeout swinging and a fly out to left to keep Bridgewater State off the scoreboard.

Bears' sophomore Shane Surette (Haverhill, Mass.) shouldered the loss on two innings, six hits, five runs (four earned), three walks and one punchout.

Wheaton broke open the scoring in the bottom of the second with three runs on three hits and one runner left on base. After back-to-back singles from sophomores Justin Silvestro (Waltham, Mass.) and Brett Fointaine (Newburyport, Mass.), freshman Joseph Santigate (Staten Island, N.Y.) dropped down a sacrifice bunt up the third base line to put both runners in scoring position.

Junior Zach Bombard (Belchertown, Mass.) followed with an opposite field single to right-center for a 2-0 lead. Bombard also came around to score later in the inning on a fielding error to cap the scoring at 3-0 in the frame.

Fontaine increased the gap to 5-0 in the third with a two-run double down the left field line plating sophomore Mike Beneduce (North Kingstown, R.I.) and junior Apolinar De La Cruz (Providence, R.I.). De La Cruz led off the inning with a double to right field and Beneduce singled to the pitcher to put runners at the corners before Silvestro worked a four pitch walk to load the bases for Fontaine.

Wheaton also added two more runs in the fourth highlighted by a sac fly to right field from Fontaine.

Bridgewater State entered the score column in the seventh with three runs on two hits and one Wheaton error. Junior Zachary Smith (Kingston, Mass.) notched an RBI double to center and sophomore Colin Ryan (Quincy, Mass.) drove in a run with a ground out to cut into the deficit at 7-2. Smith also came around to score later in the frame on the backend of a double play attempt to wrap up the scoring in game two of the twinbill.

Junior lefthander Chris Pessotti (Burlington, Mass.) pitched well in relief for the Bears. Pessotti gave up a pair of unearned runs on a hit and walk in four innings of work.  He also fanned three.

The Lyons (10-6-1, 1-2 NEWMAC) take on Springfield College tomorrow for a NEWMAC doubleheader at Sidell Stadium with game one scheduled for 11 a.m. Tomorrow's doubleheader was originally scheduled to be played in Springfield, Mass. Bridgewater State (4-8) hosts Framingham State tomorrow for a conference doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.