Baseball Splits MASCAC Doubleheader with Framingham State

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team opened Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) play with a doubleheader split against visiting Framingham State University on Saturday at Alumni Park.

The Bears go to 5-9 (1-1 MASCAC) on the season with the split, while the Rams remain at .500 with a 7-7 (1-1 MASCAC) overall mark.

Game One: Framingham State 5, Bridgewater State 2

Visiting Framingham used a four-run fifth inning to erase a 2-0 deficit as the Rams went on to post a 5-2 victory in the opener.

Michael Andrews (Stoneham, Mass.) improved to 3-0 on the season with the win on the mound for the Rams. Andrews allowed two runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings of work.  He did not issue a walk and struck out one.

Down 2-0 in the fourth inning, back-to-back singles by RJ Gray (Lowell, Mass.) and Matt Gerard (Milford, Mass.) and a BSU error on an attempted sacrifice bunt cut the deficit to one and put runners on second and third. An RBI ground out followed by a run-scoring infield single by Manny Powers (Malden, Mass.) gave the Rams a 3-2 lead.  An infield single by Ivan Colon (Waltham, Mass.) with an ensuing throwing error allowed the fourth run of the inning to come across.

Framingham tacked on a run in the seventh as John Gill (Hudson, Mass.) doubled, stole third and scored on an RBI single off the bat of Jake Wardwell (Hudson, Mass.).

Bridgewater had taken a 2-0 lead in the second on a RBI groundout and an RBI single by Jacob Souza (Acushnet, Mass.).

Andy Sadoski (Harwich, Mass.) was saddled with his first loss of the season for the Bears.  Sadoski (3-1) went the distance allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits with three strike outs.

Souza and Nicholas White (Bellingham, Mass.) paced the BSU offense with two hits apiece.  Souza went 2-for-3 with a run, while White doubled and singled in three at bats.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 6, Framingham State 3

The Bears turned the tables on the Rams in game two, erasing a two-run deficit with a six-run fourth inning.

Kenny Pennini (Millis, Mass.) picked up his first win of the season on the mound for Bridgewater. Pennini (1-2) worked into the sixth innings allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits and two walks.  He fanned four.  Adam Mullen (Fairhaven, Mass.) notched his second save as he recorded the final six outs.  Mullen gave up just one hit and fanned one.

Trailing 2-0 in the fourth, White doubled home Billy Mitchell (Walpole, Mass.) who was hit by a pitch to open the frame. One batter later, White came around to score on Keaghan Austin-MacInnis' RBI single to tie the game at 2-2.  After a Framingham error, Ryan Manning (Plainville, Mass.) plated Austin-MacInnis with a base knock to give the Bears a 3-2 lead.  A throwing error sandwiched around a Colin Ryan (Quincy, Mass.) RBI single and a Mitchell RBI double accounted for the final three runs of the frame.

Gill drove in Gerard with a base hit in the sixth to cut the deficit to 6-3, but Mullen came on and retired five of the six batters he faced (including a double play) to secure the win for the Bears.

White and Austin-MacInnis finished with two hits apiece to lead the Bears' offense in the nightcap.  White and Austin-MacInnis each went 2-for-3 with  run and an RBI.  Mitchell singled, was hit by a pitch and recorded a sacrifice bunt in three plate appearances.

Colon, Gray, Gill and William Derosier (Shrewsbury, Mass.) notched two hits apiece to lead the Rams' ten-hit attack.

In upcoming  action, the Bears host non-conference foe UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday afternoon at 3:30.  The Rams travel to Fisher College on Monday night to take on the Falcons at seven.