Worcester, MA- With the opening conference win under their belt versus MCLA from yesterday, the Worcester State Baseball team (9-4, 1-0) looks to complete the Sweep over MCLA (2-10, 0-1) with an afternoon matchup this afternoon held at Williams College. The Lancers and Trailblazers will go for two seven-inning battles in the afternoon light to close out their conference regular season meetings this season.

Final

Game 1

Worcester State: 10

MCLA: 2

Game 2

Worcester State: 19

MCLA: 3

How it Happened:

Game 1:

The action started quick for Worcester State in the first inning of game one as senior Tyler Smith (Leominster, MA) sent an opening single to centerfield which was followed up by a bunt by first year Christopher Mondesir (Roslindale, MA) who beat the play to claim first to put runner on first and second. A fielder's choice from sophomore Tyler Normandie (Lowell, MA) would claim the out at second but advance Smith to third. Senior Anthony Iamarone (Providence, RI) would record his 100th career hit during the next at bat to send Smith home for the first run of the game. First year Jack Savio (Andover, MA) would ground out to third but during the play at first Normandie would use his speed to record run two. Wrapping up the scoring action was junior Joe Auger (Lowell, MA) who laid a ball deep to left center for Iamarone to race home for the 3-0 lead at the top of the first. 

Sophomore Gavin Price (Worcester, MA) would make quick work of the three batters of the first forcing two ground outs and a pop out to keep the Trailblazers from countering the early runs. Worcester would add an additional run in the second as this time Mondesir would single to left field providing enough distance for Smith to race home from second. Price kept the quick work going as he sent the next three batters back to the dugout all swinging away for their strikeouts. The Trailblazers first scoring action would come in the bottom of the fourth where they managed to cut the lead to just two. The top of fifth would see Normandie dish out a sacrifice fly to send home Mondesir after his left field triple, to take the 5-2 lead. 

A big sixth inning would cushion the Lancers lead further as senior Mason Bates (Shrewsbury, MA) began with a triple to right center, and senior Xavier Quezada (Providence, RI) hit an RBI single to second base to bring Bates home. Smith was then hit by a pitch to get Quezada into scoring position and Mondesir would fall back to the bunting ways as he laid down a bunt single to load the bases with Normandie, who delivered a clutch 2-RBI single to right center, as Quezada and Smith both scored. Iamarone ended the inning with a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing in Mondesir to create the 9-2 lead. A cap off run was recorded in the top of the seventh as Auger was walked onto base, advancing to third off a sophomore Ryan Jewett (Natick, MA) single before returning to home plate on a wild pitch. 

Price would go the full game in the 10-2 win with 10 strikeouts and allowing just five hits in the game. 

Game 2: 

Worcester State jumped ahead in the first inning, as Normandie would hit a sacrifice fly to right field to send home Bates and Iamarone grounded out to first but was able to score Mondesir for the early 2-0 lead. The bats were still hot in the second, as Mondesir had an RBI single to center, and a throwing error scored both him and M. Bates for unearned runs. First year Riggs Catlin (Dedham, MA) came next with a huge 3-RBI triple to right center, capping a big inning for the Lancers that would bring Smith, Normandie and Iamarone in. MCLA responded in the third with RBI singles by J. Sardo and M. Wormuth, but Worcester State would maintain their early hold on the action with a return run in the top of the fourth off a Normandie sacrifice bunt to bring Mondesir home. 

The fifth inning would be an eventful and action packed one for the Lancers as the bases were quickly loaded and a walk on Mondesir would carry in Thurber. Smith would single to left field  and an error by the third baseman would lead to first year Isiah Weston (Essex, MA) and Bates scoring runs two and three of the inning. A Normandie ground out to short would bring in Mondesir and a throwing error again by the third baseman would find Iamarone on first and Smith back in the dugout. Runs six and seven of the inning would come off a double zipping by first base by junior Nathan Thurdber (Framingham, MA) to bring in Catlin and Iamarone. First year Anthony Burgess (Tewksbury, MA) would wrap up the fifth inning malay with a single to the short stop that would find Thurber spring run eight for the 17-2 Lancer lead. 

In the final inning of action the Lancers would tack on another run for Iamarone as Thurber singled to centerfield and a sac fly from Burgess would bring Catlin across the plate before MCLA could record the third and final out in the top of the seventh. The Trailblazers would score one last run as they fell to the Lancers 19-3.

Graduate student Ben Smith (Bourne, MA) would lead the Lancers, going five innings with seven strikeouts and allowing just eight hits. 

What's Next:

The Lancers (11-4, 3-0) complete the sweep of MCLA in the regular season and now shift their focus to Wheaton on April 2nd in a rescheduled game from earlier in the season, First pitch is set for 3:30pm.