Bridgewater needs 13 innings to squeek by MCLA

Bridgewater State Bears Edge MCLA, 6-5, in 13 Innings

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Bridgewater State College senior J.T. Mooney (North Attleboro, MA) drove in pinch runner Seob Yoon (Tokyo, Japan) from second base with a game-winning single with two outs in the bottom of the 13th inning to lift the Bears to a 6-5 win over MCLA in MASCAC Baseball Tournament action this afternoon at Alumni Park in Bridgewater.

The second-seeded Bears (24-14) will advance to the winner’s bracket championship game on Saturday at 1 PM against fourth-seeded Westfield State College. Westfield rallied to defeat top-seeded Worcester State, 9-7, this afternoon in Worcester. MCLA (20-14) will take on Worcester in an elimination game on Saturday at 10 AM. Worcester will host the remainder of the tournament.

Junior Ben Altman (East Taunton, MA) was sensational in relief for the Bears as he picked up his first win of the season. Altman (1-0) hurled four scoreless innings after coming into the game to start the tenth inning. He retired 12 of the 14 batters he faced, giving up just two hits and striking out three.

With two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the 13th, freshman David Dole (West Bridgewater, MA) lined a pinch hit double down the right field line. Yoon was called in to run for Dole and senior Brendon Elliot (Brockton, MA) was intentionally walked for the third time in the game. That brought up Mooney who ripped a base hit through the hole between short and third to plate Yoon with the winning run.

Junior James Greeley (Newton, MA) suffered the loss on the mound for the Trailblazers. Greeley came on in relief to start the bottom of the tenth and allowed just the one run on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Bridgewater trailed 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, but rallied to send the game into extra innings. Senior Brad Koneski (North Dighton, MA) reached on an error to lead off the frame and swiped his fifth base of the afternoon to put the tying run on second. Junior Mark Claffey (Bellingham, MA) singled sending Koneski to third, and senior Kelly LaDow (East Falmouth, MA) hit a sacrifice fly to left to tie the game up at 5-5.

BSC got the scoring started in the first inning as Koneski singled, stole second and third, and scored on a double by LaDow. MCLA tied the game with a run in the third, but Elliot belted his eighth home run of the season, a two-run blast in the bottom half of the inning, to put the Bears back on top, 3-1.

Back-to-back RBI doubles by freshman Rick Massey (Pittsfield, MA) and sophomore Paul Procopio (Pittsfield, MA) evened things up for the Trailblazers in the top of the fifth. Koneski put the Bears back in front in the sixth as he drove in Jeff Puopolo (Brockton, MA) from second base with an RBI double. Puopolo had singled with one out in the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Brian Medairos (Brockton, MA).

That lead was short-lived however as MCLA plated two runs in the seventh to take a 5-4 lead. Junior Ken Recore (Averill Park, NY) walked to lead off the inning and moved to second as senior Anthony Russo (Marcy, NY) reached on an error. Sophomore John Ripepi (Amsterdam, NY) sacrificed the runners to second and third, and Massey followed with a two-run single to put the Trailblazers on top.

Massey finished 3-for-6 in the game with a run and four RBI, while Procopio went 2-for-6 with two doubles and an RBI. Recore was 1-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored.

Koneski (2-for-6), Claffey (2-for-4), Mooney (2-for-7) and Medairos (2-for-5) each had two hits apiece for the Bears who banged out 13 hits in the game. MCLA pitchers also walked eight batters and hit two.

Junior Sean O’Neill (Norwood, MA) got the start on the mound for the Bears and went 8 2/3 innings. O’Neill gave up five runs (four earned) on five hits with five walks and a career-high 15 strikeouts.

Senior Andrew Gaines (Holyoke, MA) went the first nine innings for the Trailblazers as he allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hitters. Gaines also walked six batters, hit two and struck out six.