Worcester, MA- After dropping the series opener at home yesterday to MCLA, Worcester State went on the road for today's twin-billing. The trip was well worth the drive out to North Adams, Mass. as the Lancers got back into the win column with a pair of seven-inning victories. Not only did their record improve, but Worcester State's lineup and pitching staff finished the day with plenty of confidence.
The Lancers came away with a commanding victory in the first game, winning by a score of 14-1. You couldn't have asked for a much better performance on the bump than what the Lancers got out of senior Cole Glassburn (Hopkinton, Mass.). Using just 84 pitches, Glassburn went the distance, striking out three while giving up only one run over six hits.
The Lancer offense came out firing on all cylinders. They scored four in the third inning, four in the sixth, and six in the seventh to bring the run total to a resounding 14. Freshman Joe Auger (Lowell, Mass.) supplied plenty of power with a solo shot in the third and a two-run double in the sixth. Sophomore Tom Halliwell (Leominster, Mass.), junior Anthony Iamorone (Providence, R.I.) and senior Alex Sorenti-Burns (Sagamore Beach, MA) all joined Auger with doubles. Most impressively, all nine starters for Worcester State reached base and scored.
Sophomore Danny Bourget (Brimfield, Mass.) came on as a pinch hitter in the seventh and singled up the middle to collect his first NCAA knock. When all was said and done Worcester State walked away with a 14-1 victory.
Game two played out in strikingly different fashion. Far from a blowout, the Lancers and MCLA Trailblazers were neck and neck throughout the battle. MCLA jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the Lancers were able to even the score in the top of the third thanks to a sophomoreTyler Smith (Leominster, Mass.) double that chased in Auger.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Trailblazers took a one-run lead on a sac fly, and headed into the top of the seventh looking to take the rubber game from the Lancers. With their backs against the wall, the boys from Worcester found their fight. Senior Zack Roberts (Northbridge, Mass.) reached on an error then took advantage of the opportunity by swiping second base. Tyler Smith followed with a walk, and then fellow Leominster-native Tom Halliwell came up with a big single that brought Roberts home to tie the game at 2-2. Smith, now on third, came home on a Sorenti-Burns groundout, and a batter later Anthony Iamorone singled home Halliwell to put the Lancers up two.
Senior Kevin Zarnoch (Boston, Mass.) followed up Glassburn's performance with a gem of his own. He went 6.1 innings only giving up a pair of runs (one earned) while striking out six and administering just one free pass. Zarnoch captured the first out of the seventh before Worcester looked to junior Danny Dimassimo to close it out. Hailing from nearby Pittsfield, Mass., Dimassimo felt right at home in western Massachusetts. He captured the save and put the bow on the Lancers second win of the day.
The Lancers finished the day 4-2 in conference play, while making MCLA 1-5 in the MASCAC. Now 8-12 on the season as a whole, the blue and gold are halfway through their 2023 campaign. The second half will commence at home on Monday afternoon at 3:30 pm. Clark University, who walked off on Worcester State just a couple of weeks ago will visit Lyons Diamond in what will undoubtedly be a game the Lancers will play with both a chip on their shoulder, and a bit of momentum following today's performance.