Hermance and Gaines Pitch Well but Take Losses

The Trailblazers baseball team dropped a doubleheader to the Lancers of Worcester State today. The Trailblazers drop to 6-16 on the season and 1-7 in the MASCAC. Worcester goes to 22-5-1 and 7-1 in conference.

MCLA got two pretty good outings from its starting pitchers, but several errors allowed unearned runs and forced MCLA to play from behind most of the day. In game one Worcester would score five times in the first two innings, but only three were earned.  Nick Caparell (N. Attleboro, MA) had a two-run double in the first inning as Worcester jumped out 2-0 early.

The Trailblazers tied it up in there half of the first thanks to an Eddie George (Falls Church, VA) RBI single. George later came around to score on a Worcester wild pitch.

The tie was short lived as the Lancers came back with three in the second and led 5-3 after two innings.

Trailblazers’ pitcher Sean Hermance (Elizaville, NY) and Lancer starter Chad Kasik (Dudley, MA) both settled down after that putting up zeros until the bottom of the seventh.

The Lancers scored six times in the seventh to put the game out of reach.

TJ Magnell (Leominster, MA) was 2-5 with an RBI in game out for the Lancers. Kasik got the win going the distance allowing seven hits and two earned runs, while striking out eight.

Hermance kept the Trailblazers in the games, but took the loss. Hermance went six and two-thirds surrendering eight hits and four earned runs. John Ripepi (Amsterdam, NY). Mike Meaney (North Adams, MA) and George each had two hits at the top of the order.

Game two had a similar start as MCLA gave up an unearned run in the second inning allowing the Lancers to tie it after MCLA went up 1-0 in the first off Lancer Starter Bobby DeVito. 

Ripepi had a good afternoon and led off the nightcap with a double and later scored on a George RBI single.

Worcester got two in the fifth to take the lead back 3-1 and it could have been worse if not for some good Trailblazer defense. Corey McDonald (Hudson, MA) hit a double to left-center with Magnell on first, but a good relay from Joe Parillo and Ripepi, cut Magnell down at the plate.  Nick Fluegge (Ware, MA) had a big two-out double to score McDonald and then scored on successive wild pitches by starter Daniel Gaines. Gaines had five wild pitches on the afternoon.

MCLA got one back in the fifth to cut it to 3-2 when Ripepi had an RBI single following a Brendan Wyand (Pittsfield, MA) one-out double. The Trailblazers appeared to be threatening for more when Rick Massey (Cheshire, MA) hit a screaming line drive, but it was snared by Fluegge at first who doubled off Ripepi.

Worcester scored two more in the seventh on an RBI triple from Fluegge; Fluegge the n scored again on a wild pitch.

Bobby DeVito (Webster, MA) earned the win for Worcester State. Fluegge and McDonald had two hits each for Worcester.

MCLA starter Daniel Gaines (Holyoke, MA) went the distance and allowed four earned on nine hits. Ripepi and Parillo each had two hits. MCLA catcher Vince Bordino (New Paltz, NY) threw out a runner at second and threw out a runner at third trying to advance on a wild pitch.

MCLA will host RPI Wednesday at 4:30 PM.