Baseball Splits Non-Conference Twin Bill With Corsairs

Hurrell blasts first homerun of the season for the Green and Gold

Dartmouth, MA: The Fitchburg State baseball team split a non-conference double header with the Corsairs of UMass Dartmouth this afternoon from Bishop Stang High School as the Falcons rallied for a 7-5, 11 inning triumph in the opener before falling 7-3 in the nightcap.

THE BASICS:

- Date: 3/2/24

- Score: Fitchburg State 7, UMass Dartmouth 5 (11Inn) (GM1)

- Score: Fitchburg State 3, UMass Dartmouth 7 (GM2)

- Records: Fitchburg State (2-1, 0-0 MASCAC), UMass Dartmouth (1-1, 0-0 LEC)

HOW IT HAPPENED: Game One

-  Trailing 5-0 in the top of the third, Fitchburg State plated a pair of runs on a sacrifice fly from senior Maxwell Kelly (E. Bridgewater, MA) and an RBI single by junior Jacob Hurrell (Haverhill, MA) to make the score 5-2. The Falcons answered again in the top of the sixth when Hurrell blasted a solo shot to right field to cut the deficit to 5-3.

- The Green and Gold knotted the score at 5-5 in the top of the eighth as junior Nolan Hills (Danvers, MA) laced a two-run single up the middle that scored sophomore Adam Koza (Windham, NH) and Kelly. Fitchburg State broke the 5-5 stalemate in the top of the 11th when junior Liam Goldstein (Charlestown, RI) drew a bases loaded walk, while senior Matthew Kelly (E. Bridgewater, MA) followed with a RBI groundout, resulting in the 7-5, game one victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

-  Mat Kelly paced the Falcons, going 2-for-5 with an RBI

-  Hurrell went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI, one scored and a stolen base

-  Junior Joseph Hartnett (North Attleboro, MA) picked up the win for Fitchburg State, allowing no runs with six walks and three K's over three innings of relief

-  For the Corsairs, junior Jake SanAntonio (Cranston, RI) finished 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI

-  Senior Andrew Possi (Milton, MA) chipped in with a double and an RBI

-  Freshman Jacob Rosati (Bourne, MA) took the loss for UMass Dartmouth, yielding two runs on three walks and a pair of strikeouts

HOW IT HAPPENED: Game Two

-  UMass Dartmouth opened the scoring in the bottom of the second frame with sophomore Brett Baker (Chelmsford, MA), junior Devyn Vezina (Coventry, RI) and junior Sam Laurie (Narragansett, RI) collecting RBI base knocks for the 5-0 advantage. The Corsairs pushed the lead to 7-0 in the bottom half of the fourth on an RBI single from senior TJ Keefe (Weymouth, MA), while classmate Matthew Klett (Barnstable, MA) stole home.

- Fitchburg State responded in the top of the seventh with senior Devin Lorae (Canton, GA) reaching on an error, moving to second on walk by Hurrell before Koza ripped a two-run triple to left, scoring Lorae and Hurrell before Koza crossed the plate on an RBI ground out off the bat of sophomore Joseph Abt (Newbury, MA), resulting in the 7-3, game two final.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

-  This afternoon's contest marked the fifth meeting between the two teams on baseball diamond with the Falcons 1-4 all-time when taking on the Corsairs

-  Koza led the way for the Falcons, going 1-of-3 with a triple, two RBI and a run scored

-  Abt hit 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI

-  Sophomore Sy Sullivan (Tigard, OR) suffered the setback for Fitchburg State, giving up five runs (3 earned) on three hits with four punch outs and four walks

-  For the Corsairs, Baker finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and one run scored

-  Vezina added one hit, an RBI and one run scored

-  Junior Adam Maher (Plymouth, MA) collected the win for UMass Dartmouth, allowing just one hit with 13 K's over five innings of work

UP NEXT:

- Fitchburg State returns to action on Friday as they take on the Blazers of Elm College in a non-conference twin bill on day one of the RussMatt Invitational, starting at 9:30AM.

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