Trailblazers fall short in elimination game; 12-4

Top-seeded Worcester State picked up a 12-4 victory this morning over #3 MCLA in the losers bracket game in the MASCAC Baseball Tournament semifinals at Lake Park.

The Lancers (27-13) will advance and play the winner of the afternoon bracket contest of #2 Bridgewater State against fourth-seeded Westfield State in an elimination game later this afternoon. MCLA wraps up their season at 20-15 overall.

Johno Hinkell (North Adams, MA) went 3-for-5 with two plated runs while freshman Jake Sanderski (Millbury, MA-LF) and second-year Nick Fluegge (Ware, MA-1B) each went 2-for-4 as Sanderski scored two runs and Fluegge added three RBIs.

The Trailblazers were paced by senior Derek Gibbons (Rochester, MA-1B) and junior Ken Recore (Averill Park, NY-C) who each tallied two hits while Gibbons finished with a double, a homer and two plated runs.

Worcester State opened the game with a 2-0 lead after two innings as the Lancers scored on an error in the infield on the first inning and on a heads up running play in the second frame by junior Ryan LaPrade (Leominster, MA-2B) with two outs. LaPrade reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and crossed home when a nifty play by the shortstop got muffed by the first baseman as the ball slipped out of the webbing of his glove.

After MCLA grabbed a run back on an RBI fielders choice with the bases loaded in the top of the third, Hinkell lifted a lead-off solo homer in the bottom of the inning to give WSC a 3-1 lead.

The Trailblazers added another run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth by senior Anthony Russo (Marcy, NY), but the Blue and Gold answered right back on back-to-back RBIs in the bottom of the frame by Fluegge and Hinkell.

Freshman Rick Massey (Pittsfield, MA-CF) hit a run-producing double to bring the deficit to 6-3, but the Blue and Gold put the game out of reach as they crossed the plate seven times over the next three innings. Their scoring was highlighted by a two-run singles by Nick Dortona (Malden, MA) and Fluegge in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.

MCLA did try to get something going in the top of the seventh on Gibbon's solo homer, but the gap was too much for the visitors to overcome.

Junior Mike Borowiec (Spencer, MA) was solid for the Lancers as he tossed eight strong innings allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits. Borowiec (5-1) also fanned four and walked two as he extremely effective throwing 105 pitches.

Trailblazer senior Cyrus Curtis (Bourne, MA) shouldered the setback as his record dropped to 4-3 on the season. Curtis went 5 1/3 innings allowing seven runs (five earned) on eight hits while he walked and struck out four batters.