Westfield State sweeps doubleheader to take season series over Baseball

WESTFIELD, Mass.— The MCLA Baseball team was swept in a MASCAC doubleheader today by Westfield State giving the Owls the season series over the Trailblazers two games to one. Westfield took the opener 9-6 and completed the sweep with an 8-7 extra inning decision in game two. With the wins the Owls improve to 16-15 (10-5 MASCAC) while MCLA falls to 8-23 (2-13 MASCAC).

Game One         Westfield State 9            MCLA 6

After a leadoff single and stolen base put Austin Rachiele (1-for-3) on second, Noel Medina's (2-for-4, 2 RBI) RBI single would make it 1-0. A Rob Correia (1-for-2, RBI) walk with the bases loaded would score Medina, then a 3-RBI double from Josh Bologh (1-for-2, 3 RBI) would make it 5-0 MCLA.

RBI doubles by Westfield's Sean Clark (2-for-3, 3 RBI) and Dan Burnett (1-for-4, RBI) followed by a two-run homer by Ethan Day (3-for-4, 3 RBI) in the bottom of the 3^rd would cut the Trailblazers lead to 5-4.

Another RBI single in the top of the 4^th by Medina would make it 6-4 but an RBI single by Clark and two unearned runs in the bottom half gave the Owls a 7-6 lead. A bases loaded single by Alex Martin (1-for-2, RBI) followed by a Clark sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 5^th would secure the 9-6 game one win for the hosts.

Westfield reliever Joe Fischer (W, 1-2) pitched 4.2 innings allowing one run on three hits while striking out two batters. Joe Espinola (S, 3) would pitch the final 1.1 innings to earn the save. MCLA staring pitcher Aidan Brett (L, 0-3) took the loss allowing nine runs (seven earned) and seven hits in four innings pitched.

Game Two         Westfield State 8            MCLA 7              (8 innings)

A passed ball, wild pitch and two sacrifice flies would give MCLA a 4-0 advantage in the top of the 1^st inning but once again Westfield would catch the Trailblazers, this time by scoring a pair of runs in both the 1^st and 2^nd innings to make it 4-4.

A Randy Adams (1-for-4, RBI) single in the 4^th, a Brady Hamel (2-for-2, 2 RBI) single in the 5^th and a clutch bases loaded single in the top of the 7^th by Clarence Givhans (1-for-4, RBI) would each put the Trailblazers up one run. But each time Westfield would answer to tie the game including the bottom of the 7^th when Nolan Florence scored on a passed ball to make it 7-7 sending the game to extra innings.

After holding MCLA in the top half of the 8^th, Nick Marshall (3-5, RBI) would lead off the home-half with a triple and later score on a wild pitch to give the Owls an 8-7 win to sweep the doubleheader.

Correia (2-for3) and Michael Wormuth (2-for 3) each had a pair of hits for the Trailblazers. Robinson Guerrero Baez had three hits and scored three runs for the Owls.

Espinola (W, 3-1) was credited with the win for Westfield while MCLA's James Sneyd (L, 1-2) endured the loss.

This Friday at 3pm both teams will be on the road for the first of a three-game MASCAC weekend series as Westfield takes on Framingham and MCLA battles Fitchburg. The Owls and Trailblazers will return home on Saturday for games two and three.