Baseball Sweeps Worcester State in MASCAC Doubleheader

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team swept a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader with visiting Worcester State University on Friday afternoon at Alumni Park. Bridgewater won the opener, 4-1, and completed the sweep with a 10-5 victory in game two.

Winners of seven of their last eight games, the Bears improve to 25-11 on the season and 15-2 in the MASCAC. The Lancers fall to 17-14 overall and 11-6 in conference play.

Game One: Bridgewater State 4, Worcester State 1

Graduate righthander Matt Josselyn (Hanson, Mass.) recorded his fourth straight complete game victory to lead the Bears to the 4-1 win in game one. Josselyn (6-1) allowed just one run on five hits with no walks and nine strikeouts. He gave up a run with nobody out in the seventh to halt his school-record scoreless inning streak at 40 1/3 innings.

The Bears got on the board with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Back-to-back singles by freshman second baseman Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) and sophomore right fielder Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) put runners at the corners with nobody out. Emerson scored the first run of the game as he crossed the plate on the back end of a double steal. Sophomore left fielder Joe Frechette (Plymouth, Mass.) and junior third baseman Joey Molis (Cumberland, R.I.) connected for RBI singles in the frame, while a Worcester throwing error on a potential double play ground out accounted for the final run of the inning.

The score remained that way until the top of the seventh. Senior first baseman Sean Devin (Lynn, Mass.) was hit by a pitch and freshman right fielder Anthony Iamarone (Providence, R.I.) doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third with nobody out. An RBI ground out by freshman designated hitter Grant Harley (Auburn, Mass.) broke up the shutout bid. Josselyn, however, ended any chance of a Worcester comeback with a strikeout and ground out.

Senior righthander Joey Zawisza (Newington, Conn.) went all six innings on the mound in the setback for the Lancers. Zawisza (4-2) gave up four runs (three earned) on ten hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

Sophomore shortstop Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) was the lone Bear with multiple hits as he singled twice in three at bats and stole a base.

The Bears stole three bases in the game to increase their season total to 101, eclipsing the previous BSU single-season record of 99 thefts set in 2009.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 10, Worcester State 5

Wladkowski went 2-for-3 with a double and four runs batted in to lead the Bears to a 10-5 win in game two and a sweep of the doubleheader. Wladkowski also walked and scored a run as he reached safely three times.

Junior first baseman Dan Saraceno (Mansfield, Mass.) and sophomore catcher Eric Longley (Mansfield, Mass.) also finished with multiple hits for Bridgewater State. Saraceno singled twice in four at bats, scored a run and drove in one, while Longley was 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored. Emerson singled and walked in four trips to the plate, stole two bases, scored a run and knocked in one. The Bears stole five more bases in the nightcap.

BSU senior righthander David Kerns (East Cambridge, Mass.) worked into the seventh inning to earn his MASCAC-leading seventh win of the season. Kerns (7-0) allowed five runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings with two walks and seven strikeouts.

A two-run double by Devin in the top of the first inning staked the Lancers to an early 2-0 lead.

The Bears answered quickly as they loaded the bases with one out in the home half of the first as Wladkowski walked, Saraceno singled and Frechette was hit by a pitch. Molis connected for an RBI single to left and sophomore third baseman Kyle Suraci (Clinton, Conn.) followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Frechette then stole third and raced home with the go ahead run on a throwing error.

In the second, Wladkowski knocked in Emerson with an RBI double and scored on Suraci's base hit up the middle to extend the BSU advantage to 5-2.

The Bears tacked on three more runs in the third on an Emerson RBI single and a two-run single by Wladkowski.

Bridgewater extended the lead to 10-2 in the bottom of the fifth as the Bears capitalized on three walks in the frame and a pair of wild pitches. Junior centerfielder Sean Goudey (Weymouth, Mass.) walked and later scored on a wild pitch while Wladkowski drove in Lindsay, who also walked, with an RBI ground out.

A late three-run rally in the top of the seventh inning accounted for the final score of 10-5. Freshman third baseman Trent Balian (Lynnfield, Mass.) knocked in a run with an RBI single, while senior catcher Michael Mabee Jr. (Saugus, Mass.) connected for a sacrifice fly and freshman right fielder Tyler Smith (Leominster, Mass.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Junior righthander Kevin Zarnoch Jr. (Boston, Mass.) suffered the loss on the mound for the Lancers. Zarnoch Jr. (0-4) gave up eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits over 2 2/3 innings with a walk and three strikeouts.

The two teams will wrap up the three-game MASCAC set tomorrow at noon in Worcester.