Baseball Falls to Gordon, 9-6

By Jim Fenton

WENHAM, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team has dropped back-to-back games for the first time since March 13.

The Bears were defeated by Gordon College, 9-6, in a non-conference matchup at J. Tec White Field on Thursday afternoon.

BSU had won seven games in a row before being edged by the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 5-4, on Wednesday.

The Fighting Scots scored four runs each in the third and fourth innings to improve to 15-14 while breaking a three-game losing streak.

The Bears, who have two non-conference games left on the schedule, are 16-9.

Seniors Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) and Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) had three hits each for BSU. Emerson scored three runs and stole two bases. He also moved past BSU Hall of Famer Ed Grueter (1988-91) into second place on the Bears' all-time hits list. Emerson now has 217 hits in his career.

Junior Ryan Flaherty (Duxbury, Mass.) homered for the fourth straight game and has 10 this season to lead the Bears. Senior Brendan Flaven (Taunton, Mass.) also hit a home run for BSU.

Flaherty's ten homers are the most in a season for the Bears since Mike Foster belted ten in 2002.

The Bears held a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Emerson and Lindsay singled and advanced on a wild pitch.

Flaven hit a sacrifice fly to center and Flaherty delivered a two-run homer.

Gordon, a member of the Conference of New England, got one back in the bottom of the inning.

Freshman Hunter Normandin (Sturbridge, Mass.) walked and reached third on a balk and wild pitch before scoring on a groundout.

The Bears took a 4-1 lead in the third as Emerson single through the left side, stole second and went to third on a single up the middle by Lindsay. He then scored by stealing home.Gordon went in front, 5-4, in the bottom of the inning.

Sophomore Ben Marciano (Lynn, Mass.) walked and Normandin singled before an RBI double by senior CJ Demers (Sandy Hook, Conn.).

After sophomore Tyler Wilson (Lynn, Mass.) walked, senior Evan Clark (Tariffville, Conn.) hit a sacrifice fly and senior Jonathan McIntyre (Carmel, N.Y.) singled in a pair of runs.

The lead went to 9-4 in the fourth inning.

Normandin and McIntyre had RBI singles, Clark drove in a run with a double and a run scored on a wild pitch.

Flaven's homer in the ninth inning finished the scoring.

Freshman Sullivan Quirk (Somers, Conn.) went 5 2/3 innings, striking out four, for the victory.

Sophomore Deshaughn Forbes (Nassau, The Bahamas) took the loss for BSU, working three innings.

McIntyre had two hits and three RBI and Normandin had two hits for the Fighting Scots.

BSU continues its MASCAC schedule on Friday, hosting Worcester State at 3:30 p.m. at Alumni Park.

Gordon hosts Nichols in a doubleheader Saturday at 11 a.m.