WORCESTER, Mass. - The Worcester State University baseball team earned its third consecutive sweep of Bridgewater State University on Saturday afternoon in non-conference action at Lyons Diamond. Worcester State won game one 9-0 and game two 7-5.
With the wins, Worcester State moves to 6-0 on the season, while Bridgewater State moves to 1-8.
Game 1 - Worcester State 9, Bridgewater State 0
Worcester State pitching dominated the opening game of the doubleheader as the hosts easily cruised to their second shutout win of the season.
Starter Chris Elliott (Plymouth, Mass.) allowed just two hits while striking out three over five innings to earn the victory on the hill for Worcester State. Sophomore Brett Bucklin (Lynn, Mass.) came on in relief and threw two no-hit innings with four strikeouts to lock down the victory.
Worcester State did not get on the board until the bottom of the third, when Zack Roberts (Northbridge, Mass.) put the Lancers on top 1-0 with an RBI single to centerfield. Roberts would come around to score on a Bridgewater State error to put the Lancers ahead by a pair heading to the fourth.
The Lancers extended their lead to three in the bottom of the fourth, executing a successful suicide squeeze for the third consecutive game. Sophomore Chris Ausiello (Tyngsboro, Mass.) recorded the RBI by dropping down the bunt, scoring junior Sean Devin (Lynn, Mass.) from third base. Worcester State added two more in the inning, one on a Tom Halliwell (Leominster, Mass.) RBI single, and another on a Bear wild pitch.
A Zach Landry (Mashpee, Mass.) RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth added some insurance for Worcester State, which was followed up in the bottom of the sixth from RBI hits from Pat Galvin (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Jake Breton (Wilbraham, Mass.), and Brett Blackwell (Haverhill, Mass.) to put the contest out of reach.
Game 2 - Worcester State 7, Bridgewater State 5
Bridgewater State's bats came to life in game two of the twinbill, but Worcester State was up to the task to secure the sweep of the Bears.
Worcester State lept out to an early 4-0 advantage in game two, thanks in large part to a two-run double from junior Michael Mabee Jr. (Saugus, Mass.) in the bottom of the second, but Worcester State's lead would be shortlived.
Bridgewater State put up a five-spot in the top of the third inning, with an RBI single from Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.), followed by two-run hits from Cam James (Ipswich, Mass.) and Jonathan O'Donnell (Hull, Mass.). Like Worcester State's previous lead, however, the Bears' advantage wouldn't last for long.
In the bottom of the frame with a runner on first base, Devin lined a go-ahead home run over the right field fence for his first home run of the season, putting Worcester State ahead 6-5. In the bottom of the fifth, Devin would add some insurance for the Lancers with an RBI groundout, giving the game its final score of 7-5.
Reliever Cole Glassburn (Hopkinton, Mass.) got the win for Worcester State, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings and allowing just four hits. Kevin Zarnoch Jr. (Boston, Mass.) recorded his second save of the season with a hitless bottom of the seventh in the victory. David Kerns (East Cambridge, Mass.) went the distance for Bridgewater State to take the loss.
Worcester State will return to the diamond on Wednesday to take on Fisher College at Lyons Diamond at 1 p.m.
#WooBB