Baseball Sweeps MCLA in MASCAC Twinbill

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball swept a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader with MCLA on Sunday afternoon at Alumni Park. The Bears won the first game, 7-1, and completed the sweep with a 34-7 victory in game two.

The Bears improve to 13-5 on the season and 3-0 in the MASCAC, while the Trailblazers fall to 6-10 overall and 0-3 in conference play. The two teams met on Friday out in Springfield with the Bears taking game one of the three-games series, 11-3.

Bridgewater State is 63-39 versus MCLA since 1972. The Bears are also 41-10 versus the Trailblazers since the turn of the century including a 26-6 mark at home.

Game One: Bridgewater State 7, MCLA 1

BSU righthander Matt Josselyn allowed just one unearned run in the complete game effort to lead the Bears to the 7-1 victory in game one. Josselyn (3-2) scattered six hits, walked one and fanned five. He threw 86 pitches, 63 for strikes.

MCLA pushed across an unearned run in the top of the third inning to take a 1-0 lead. Austin Rachiele reached on a two-base error, advanced to third on a long fly ball to right and trotted home when Noel Medina blooped an RBI single into centerfield.

The Bears rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Kevin Lindsay reached on an infield single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a fly out. Riley Thornell then dropped an RBI double into right-center to tie the game. Thornell came around to score the go ahead run when Joey Molis reached on a misplayed pop up. Cam James and Dan Jasmin followed with back-to-back singles to make it a 3-1 game.

Bridgewater tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend the lead to 7-1. A walk to Lindsay, a bunt single by Scott Emerson and a productive ground out, put runners on second and third with one out. Thornell and Molis connected for back-to-back RBI doubles and James added a sacrifice fly.

Thornell went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two runs and three RBI. Lindsay singed and walked in three plate appearances and scored two runs.

Medina went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Trailblazers.

Bryan Rosario allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings in the setback for MCLA. Rosario (3-3) walked three and struck out four.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 34, MCLA 7

James and Molis homered for the first time this season and the Bears banged out 20 hits, including five triples and four doubles, en route to the 34-7 win. MCLA pitching issued 19 walks and hit four batters.

BSU lefthander Shane Handrahan gave up just one unearned run on one hit over four innings to pick up his third win of the season. Handrahan (3-0) walked three and fanned four.

The Bears plated two runs in the first inning, nine in the second, eight in the third, 14 in the fourth and one in the fifth.

James smacked a two-run homer and Molis connected for a three-run blast in the eight-run third inning.

Emerson went 3-for-4 with a triple, three runs and six RBI, while Sean Goudey was 3-for-4 at the plate with three doubles, four runs and four RBI. Jay Wladkowski (2-2, 4R, RBI), Kyle Suraci (2-3, R, 4RBI), Joshua Selander (3-3, 3B, R, 2RBI) and Mathew Pigeon (2-4, 3B, 4R, 2RBI) also recorded multiple hits for the Bears.

Molis drove in four runs and scored three. James finished with three runs and three RBI.

Randy Adams went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and three RBI to pace the MLCA offense in game two.

The Bears travel to Gordon College tomorrow afternoon to take on the Fighting Scots at three o'clock. The Trailblazers travel to Elms College on Tuesday night take on the Blazers at seven.