Duncan Breaks Mark But Trailblazers Go Down
MCLA's Joe Duncan broke the school record with his 21st stolen base of the season in the Trailblazers twinbill with Westfield.
MCLA got swept Tuesday by Westfield State in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), 3-2 and 9-0.
MCLA drops to 11-22 and 2-10. Westfield improves to 17-15 overall and 9-3 in the MASCAC.
In the opener, southpaw Roman Mondalto threw a complete-game four-hitter with nine strikeouts and no walks in improving his record to 3-1 and lowering his ERA to 1.80.
Daniel Gaines pitched well in defeat for MCLA. Gaines went the distance allowing just three runs on eight hits. Gaines had good command as he didn't walk a batter and struck out two.
Westfield took a 1-0 lead in the opener when hot-hitting Kevin Greene led off the second inning with a double and scored on a single by Josh Blair.
MCLA tied the score in the fourth when Joe Duncan led off with a single up the middle, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on Cody Weaver's RBI ground out.
The Owls scored two big runs in the fifth to take a 3-1 lead. With the bases empty and two outs, Matt Kelly singled and scored on freshman first baseman Dan Rokitowski's double down the left field line. Freshman designated hitter Nick Champeau followed with an RBI single.
MCLA scored a run in the sixth when Duncan singled and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt. He scored on Weaver's two-out double to right field. Rory Slattery came up representing the go-ahead run but flied out to center-field to end the rally.
Westfield collected eight hits with Greene the only Owl with multiple hits; he was 2 for 3 with two doubles.
Duncan was 2 for 3 with two runs scored and Weaver was 1 for 3 with two RBI.
In the nightcap, sophomore Tommy Carroll hurled the first five innings, allowing three hits and no walks in boosting his record to 4-3.
Westfield scored three runs in the first, two in the second and single tallies in the third and fourth to take a commanding 7-0 lead.
The Owls out-hit the Trailblazers, 12-4. Blair was 2 for 3 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI. Junior catcher Andrew Medeiros was 3 for 3 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Cody Weaver took the loss for MCLA in game two. Slattery had two of MCLA's four hits. Joe Duncan stole his twentieth and twenty-first bases of the season for MCLA. Duncan is now the school record holder for stolen bases in a single season.
MCLA will be home Saturday versus Framingham State at 1:00pm.