MCLA Swept at Home by Lancers

MCLA dropped a pair of games at home to MASCAC foe Worcester State by scores of 3-1 and 9-2.

MCLA led for a majority of game one as starter Ross Miner held the Lancers at bay through four innings. MCLA went up 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning off Worcester State starter Nick Bonofiglio (Worcester, MA). Joe Duncan got a gift when his fly-ball to right dropped in for a double as Lancer right-fielder JD Salinas (Fredericksburg, TX) lost the ball in the sun. Duncan would steal third and score on a Rory Slattery sacrifice fly.

Worcester State would take a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Salinas reached on an error with one out. Worcester State had two on with two out when Kurt Sabacinski (Worcester, MA) singled to right scoring Salinas and tying the game at one.  Joseph Carlier (Rockland, MA) would follow with a single and Worcester wouldn't trail again the rest of the afternoon.

Worcester State added an insurance run in the sixth, aided by two MCLA errors in the inning.

MCLA would bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh with two but Bonofiglio struckout pinch-hitter Joe Vaverka to end game one.

Sean Coyle and Chase Preite both had a couple of hits for MCLA.

Bonofiglio earned the win going the distance, scattering five hits and striking out eight. Miner was the tough luck loser also throwing a complete game. Miner allowed seven hits and no earned runs; both pitchers evened their records at 3-3.

In game two Worcester State scored in each of the first three frames to build a 6-1 lead early. MCLA starter Daniel Gaines allowed an unearned run in the first and struggled in the second inning as MCLA got behind 4-0.

Up 1-0 in the top of the second, Worcester scored three times on four hits and a wild pitch. Zachary George (Attleboro, MA) singled with one out, stole second and advanced to third on a fielders' choice by Salinas. George scored on a wild pitch and Salinas went all the way to third on the play. Salinas would later score on a single and Worcester would push one more across in the frame.

MCLA had a chance to climb right back into the game in the bottom of the second. They loaded the bases on single by Miner, Cody Weaver and Coyle. Worcester starter Alex Teal (Malden, MA) then walked Derek Lescarbeau forcing in a run. Teal went to a full count on Peter Dassatti before striking out Dassatti and Preite to end the threat.

Worcester would score two unearned runs in the top of the third to go up 6-1 and MCLA never got closer than 6-2 en route to a 9-2 loss.

Weaver did have an RBI triple in the bottom of the fourth, but that would be the last Trailblazer hit.

Teal (3-4) earned the victory pitching six innings and allowing four hits and just one earned run. He had ten strikeouts.

Gaines fell to 3-3 on the season. He pitched 5 and one-third innings allowing eight hits, eight runs (five earned) and struck out one.

Weaver had two hits in the second game and Coyle added one more.

Worcester will host Framinham State Monday at noon and MCLA will travel to Bridgewater Monday at 1:00pm.