Trailblazers Rally in Game One, Fall in Game Two
The MCLA Trailblazers had an up and down day as they split a pair of games with MASCAC foe Fitchburg State.
Williamstown, MA – The MCLA Trailblazers had an up and down day as they split a pair of games with MASCAC foe Fitchburg State. The Trailblazers got pretty good starting pitching in both games and some timely hitting in game one to earn the split.
MCLA's Daniel Gaines made one mistake to Fitchburg's Dave Alexander (Torrington, CT) in the top of the fourth inning and it looked like it would be the difference in the game. Alexanders fourth home run of the season to left-center put Fitchburg up 2-0 and Falcons starter Michal Mercier (Townsend, MA) cruised through the first six innings.
Mercier had allowed only two base runners thru six, but a leadoff walk to Joe Parillo in the bottom of the seventh opened the flood gates. Parillo advanced to third on back to back wild pitches and with one out the Trailblazers put together three straight singles to tie the game and load the bases. Joe Duncan lined out to short with Paul Procopio on third, pinch runner Jared Gersch on second and Mike Meaney on first. However, with two outs the #9 hitter Rick Massey laced a single to left-center plating Procopio and Gersch to give MCLA a 3-2 victory and their first conference victory.
Gaines went the distance and moved to 3-0, while Mercier was the tough luck loser evening his record at 2-2.
Game two was also a low scoring affair throughout as Sean Hermance of MCLA and Alex Teal (Malden, MA) kept the bats quiet most of the early going. The game was knotted at one after five innings.
Matt Zajac (New Hartford, CT) came around to score after a leadoff double in the third for Fitchburg and MCLA pushed across a run in the home half of the fourth when Meaney singled to center scoring Osiris Mendez
Fitchburg was able to get the go ahead run in the sixth when a botched pickoff play at second allowed John Phelan (Walpole, MA) to score after Massey couldn't retrieve the ball cleanly.
Fitchburg busted the game open with seven runs in the seventh with the help of two MCLA errors. Fitchburg made MCLA pay by collecting five hits after the miscues. Jeff Boice (Glastonbury, CT) had a two-run double in the inning as well and Fitchburg won the nightcap 9-1.
Meaney had three hits on the day for MCLA.
Fitchburg State will play WPI Monday at 3:30 and MCLA (6-12, 1-3) will host Elms Tuesday also at 3:30.