Nine-Run Sixth Inning Propels Baseball to 15-4 MASCAC Win over Worcester State

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team broke open a close game with a nine-run sixth inning as the Bears cruised to a 15-4 victory over visiting Worcester State University on Friday afternoon in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) contest at Alumni Park.

The Bears improve to 6-9 on the season and 3-2 in the MASCAC, while visiting Lancers fall to 8-8 overall and 1-3 in conference play.

Senior right-hander Jarrett Archambault (Seekonk, Mass.) went the distance on the mound for Bridgewater State as he recorded his first win of the season. Archambault allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits over nine innings with three walks and a season-high seven strikeouts. He threw 123 pitches, 83 for strikes.

Eight different players recorded at least one hit for the hosts. Junior Jonathan Livolsi (Bridgewater, Mass.) rapped three hits to pace the Bears' 12-hit attack. Livolsi went 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and three runs batted in. He was also hit by a pitch.

Senior Kevin Bresciani (Hopedale, Mass.) also reached safely four times as he singled, walked and was twice hit by a pitch. Bresciani scored a run and drove in one.

Senior Colin Josselyn (Hanson, Mass.) and sophomore Patrick Hagerty (Stoughton, Mass.) finished with multiple hits for the Bears. Josselyn went 2-for-5 and scored two runs, while Hagerty was on base three times as he went 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs and two RBI.

Sophomore Michael Catanoso (Marshfield, Mass.) also reached safely three times as he was 1-for-1 at the plate with two walks and a sacrifice bunt. Catanoso scored two runs and drove in a pair.

BSU freshman Liam Bell (Wells, Maine) extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a two-run single during the nine-run sixth inning. Bell (1-for-6) drove in three runs and scored a run. Classmate Ruben Gonzalez (Stoughton, Mass.) crossed home plate four times on the afternoon. Gonzalez (1-for-6) has scored a team-leading 16 runs in 13 games this season.

Livolsi's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the first gave the Bears the early lead. Senior Gavin Sparkman (Beverly, Mass.) singled to lead off the bottom of the second and later scored on Bell's fielder's choice groundout to make it a 2-0 game.

The Lancers got on the board in the top of the third inning. Junior Kenan Kolanda (Sterling, Mass.) led off the inning with a base hit, moved to third on senior Sam Allen's (Springfield, Mass.) single and raced home on a suicide squeeze bunt by freshman Michael Chaves Jr. (Hudson, Mass.). Archambault, however, avoided any further damage as he induced a fielder's choice groundout and a double play ball to end the frame.

Worcester notched the tying run in the top of the fourth as freshman Andrew Miller (Naples, Fla.) doubled, advanced to third on senior Michael Ferrara's (Easton, Mass.) base hit and scored on a passed ball.

With the score knotted at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Bridgewater took advantage of two Worcester errors in the frame to push across a pair of unearned runs.

Leading 4-2, the BSU offense erupted for nine runs on seven hits in the decisive sixth inning to put the game out reach. A key Lancer miscue in the frame resulted in five of the nine runs being unearned. Bell, Hagerty and Catanoso each recorded two-run singles in the inning, while Bresciani and Livolsi added run-scoring base hits.

A Livosi RBI double followed by a Sparkman RBI ground out extended the Bidgewater lead to 15-2 in the bottom of the seventh.

The Lancers scord twice in the top of the ninth on freshman Matt Bouley's (Hatfield, Mass.) RBI single and a Cooper Bigelow (Leominster, Mass.) sacrifice fly to account for the final tally of 15-4.

Junior right-hander PJ Walsh (Bridgewater, Mass.) suffered the loss on the hill for Worcester State. Walsh (2-3) gave up nine runs (five earned) on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

Ferrara was the only Lancer with multiple hits.

The Worcester defense made five errors in the contest which led to eight unearned runs.

The Bears and the Lancers wrap up the three-game MASCAC set on Saturday afternoon with a noontime doubleheader at Rockwood Park in Worcester.