Rachiele has career day leading Baseball to split with Fitchburg State

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.—MCLA's Austin Rachiele and Bryan Rosario as well as Fitchburg State's Vincent Eramo had career performances as their respective teams split today's MASCAC doubleheader. The Trailblazers took game one 17-1 while the Falcons bounced back taking game two, 15-4. With the split Fitchburg moves to 17-16 (8-10 MASCAC) while MCLA goes to 9-25 (3-15 MASCAC).

Game One         MCLA 17             Fitchburg State 1

Austin Rachiele went 4-for-5 with a pair of three-run homeruns and seven RBI leading the way for the Trailblazers along with teammates Randy Adams (3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI), Clarence Givhans (2-for-3, 2 RBI) and Rob Correia (2-for-3, HR, RBI), in their dominating 17-1 MASCAC win over Fitchburg State in the opener.

MCLA starting pitcher Bryan Rosario (W, 4-6) also had his career-best performance pitching his first complete game allowing only one run on three hits, striking out four batters to earn the win.

Already up 3-0 in the bottom of the 2^nd Racheile would hit his first three-run homer over the centerfield fence driving in Ty Mazzeo and Michael Wormuth to make it 6-0. After a Givhans walk Adams would make it 8-0 with a blast to left center.

After putting four more runs up in the 3^rd, Correia led off the 4^th with his first career homerun, a solo shot to make it 13-0. Later in the inning Rachiele would let his second three-run homer fly to make it 16-0. Each team would add a run down the stretch but MCLA would win 17-1 ending a seven-game losing skid for the Trailblazers.

Fitchburg starter Adam Wholley (L, 2-4) took the loss for the Falcons allowing 8 runs (seven earned) and five hits in two innings of work.

Game Two         Fitchburg State 14          MCLA 4

Vincent Eramo and Fitchburg State would flip the script in game two as the senior catcher would go 5-for-6 with six RBI including a two-run homer in the top of the 2^nd to lead the Falcons to a 15-4 win, splitting the day and taking the season series two games to one.

Eramo's first base hit in the top of the 1^st put the visitors up 1-0 and would be his 114^th career run batted in making him the all-time RBI career leader in program history. Fitchburg State would add another in the 1^st, but MCLA clawed back to take a 3-2 lead in the home-half.

After the Falcons added four more in the top of the 2^nd, a Clarence Givhans (2-for-4, RBI) double scoring Ty Mazzeo (3-for-3) cut the lead to 6-4. Unfortunately, MCLA would not score again, and Fitchburg cruised scoring three more in the 3^rd, five in the 6^th and another in the 7^th to take the nightcap, 15-4.

Maxwell Kelly (3-for-5, 2 RBI), Matthew Smith (2-for-5, 2 RBI), Jacob Hurrell (1-for-2, 2 RBI), Nolan Hills (2-for-5, 2 RBI) and Joseph DiCrosta (3-for-5) joined Eramo leading the Falcon offensive charge.

Lowell Pare (W, 7-2) allowed 4 runs (one earned) scattering nine hits, striking out six baters in 6 innings pitched to claim the win for the Falcons. MCLA's Matthew Belfance (L, 0-2) took the loss for the Trailblazers.

Fitchburg State will next host Anna Maria College at 2:30pm while MCLA entertains Williams College on Tuesday at 4pm.