Baseball Drops Pair of MASCAC Games to Mass. Maritime

By Jim Fenton

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team surrendered a seven-run inning in both games and was swept by the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Monday afternoon.

The Bears were overtaken in the opener when the Buccaneers scored seven times in the sixth inning to rally for an 8-5 victory. BSU had led, 5-0, in the third inning but was unable to score again.

In the second game, Mass. Maritime put together a seven-run fifth inning to seal a 16-7 victory over BSU at Commodore William R. Hendy Field.

The Buccaneers hit six home runs in the doubleheader, including four in the opener. Brett Velzis (Cypress, Texas) went 5-for-8 in the twinbill with eight RBI, three doubles and a homer for Mass. Maritime.

The Bears fall to 12-12 overall, 6-5 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference after having a three-game winning streak ended.

Mass. Maritime is now 14-13 overall and 7-4 in the conference with four straight wins.

BSU will be at home Thursday for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference game against Emerson while Mass. Maritime hosts Salem State at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

Game One: Mass. Maritime 8, Bridgewater State 5

The Bears took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first with Steven Simon (Hanover, Mass.) hitting a three-run home run to center, scoring Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.), who had reached on an infield hit, and Ryan Flaherty (Duxbury, Mass.), who had walked.

Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) had scored the game's first run when he doubled to left-center and came in on an error.

The Bears extended the lead to 5-0 in the second as Emerson reached on an error and went to second when Lindsay was hit by a pitch. Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) delivered a two-out double to right.

Mass. Maritime began the comeback in the third with a run as Aidan Weir (Wallingford, Conn.) homered to left.

The score remained 5-1 until the sixth when the Buccaneers scored their seven runs, getting three home runs in the frame.

Velzis homered to left-center following a ground-rule double to left-center by Max Hefner (Jacksonville, Fla.) to make it 5-3.

AJ Pietrafes (Harwinton, Conn.) singled to left-center, was sacrificed to second by Michael Logiudice (Bridgewater, Mass.) and scored on a single to right by Michael Estrada (Covington, La.).

Alec Marsden (Marion, Mass.) was hit by a pitch and Grady Freeman (Worcester, Mass.) followed with a three-run homer to right, putting the Buccaneers on top for the first time, 7-5.

Tucker Leslie (Mashpee, Mass.) finished the scoring with another homer to center.

Hunter Dean (Plymouth, Mass.) improved to 4-0, striking out eight in his complete-game win.

Cameron Breault (Buzzards Bay, Mass.), the second of three BSU pitchers, took the loss, giving up two runs after starter Shane Handrahan (Raynham, Mass.) left the game.

The Bears were limited to six hits, two by Mathew Pigeon (Canton, Mass.), while Velzis was 2-for-3 with the double and homer for Mass. Maritime.

Game Two: Mass. Maritime 16, Bridgewater State 7

The 16 runs are the most allowed by the Bears this season. The Buccaneers had 13 hits and scored 14 of the runs in the fourth, fifth and six innings.

BSU took a 1-0 lead in the second as Philip Messina (Dunkirk, N.Y.) doubled in DJ Prampin (Worcester, Mass.), who had singled and advanced on an error.

Mass. Maritime went up, 2-1, in the bottom of the inning as Pietrafes homered to right-center and Leslie walked with the bases loaded, scoring Estrada, who had singled.

The Bears tied it in the third on an RBI double to right-center by Lindsay, bringing in Emerson, who had reached on an infield hit.

But Mass. Maritime scored four in the fourth for a 6-2 lead.

Leslie had a two-run single to left and Velzis brought in two runs with a double to left-center.

In the fifth, the Buccaneers scored their seven runs on four hits to go with an error.

Jake Houston (Bellingham, Mass.) and Leslie walked with the bases loaded for an 8-2 advantage. A groundout by Freeman brought in a run and Velzis had an RBI single through the right side.

Estrada then homered to right, scoring three runs and opening a 13-2 lead.

BSU scored two in the sixth when Emerson homered to left, scoring Cam James (Ipswich, Mass.), who had walked.

Mass. Maritime answered with three more in the bottom of the inning as Velzis capped his day with a three-run double down the line in right.

The Bears closed the scoring in the seventh when Benjamin Sepeck (Whitman, Mass.) hit a  three-run homer to left after Joshua Selander (Granby, Conn.) singled and Jaden Arruda (Seekonk, Mass.) walked. The home run marked the first of Sepeck's collegiate career.

Velzis had three hits, including two doubles, and drove in six runs while Logiudice also had three hits for the Buccaneers. Estrada and Pietrafes contributed two hits each while Leslie had four RBI.

Emerson, Lindsay and Messina had two hits each for BSU.

Maritime reliever Jay Loeffler (League City, Texas) improved to 2-2 after pitching two scoreless innings. BSU starter Christian Loescher (Peabody, Mass.) took the loss, going 3 1/3 innings.

Notes: Emerson recorded his 73rd career stolen base in game one of the doubleheader as he moved into sole possession of second place on the Bears' all-time list. Emerson surpassed Jason Arraiol  who stole 72 bases from 2001 to 2003 and 2006. BSU Hall of Famer Ed Grueter (1989-91) is the Bears' all-time leader with 86 stolen bases....Wladkowsi's double in game one marked his 56th career extra base hit as he moved into sole possession of second place on the Bears' all-time list. Wladkowski surpassed Sean Riley who notched 55 extra base hits in just two seasons (2012-13). BSU Hall of Famer Steve Smith (2005-08) is the Bears' all-time leader with 78 extra base hits.