BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team used a six-run seventh inning to pull away for a 10-3 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) victory over visiting Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Park.
Joey Molis (Cumberland, R.I.) and DJ Prampin (Worcester, Mass.) each homered for the Bears who improve to 21-7 on the season and 8-2 in the MASCAC with their fifth straight win. The Buccaneers fall to 14-13 overall and 4-6 in conference play. Bridgewater is now 77-23 versus Maritime since 1973.
The Bears opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Back-to-back walks to Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) and Jay Wladkowski Norwood, Mass.) followed by a Riley Thornell (Wareham, Mass.) sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out. After a strikeout, Cam James (Ipswich, Mass.) rapped a clutch two-out, two-run single up the middle to stake the hosts to the early 2-0 lead.
The Buccaneers got on the board in top of the second as Zach Sylvia (Brockton, Mass.) worked a walk with the bases loaded to force in a run. In the third, Brett Velzis (Cypress, Texas) doubled to lead off the frame, advanced to third on a ground out and raced home on a wild pitch to knot the game at 2-2.
Bridgewater took a 3-2 lead in the home half of the fourth. Mathew Pigeon (Canton, Mass.) singled with one out and moved to second on a passed ball. Two batters later, Emerson cracked an RBI singled into right field to plate Pigeon with the go-ahead run.
Maritime battled back to tie the game up at 3-3 in the top of the sixth. Chris Perito (East Falmouth, Mass.), attempting to bunt, reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out and trotted home on a clutch two-out RBI single by Frank Aten (Brockton, Mass.).
The Bears took the lead for good with the big six-run seventh inning. Molis blasted a two-run homer over the left-centerfield fence to break the tie, while Prampin connected for a pinch hit two-run dinger also to left-center. Two runs also scored in the inning as a result of a two-out error.
A sacrifice fly off the bat of Pigeon in the bottom of the eighth accounted for the final tally of 10-3.
Trey Yesu (Monson, Mass.) notched the second win of his rookie campaign as he tossed four solid innings of relief. Yesu (2-2) allowed just one run on three hits with four strikeouts. BSU lefthander Shane Handrahan (Raynham, Mass.) gave up two runs on six hits over the first five innings but did not factor in the decision. Handrahan walked five and fanned eight.
James went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs and two RBI to pace the Bears' 14-hit attack. Emerson reached safely four times in five plate appearances as he singled, walked twice, and was hit by a pitch for the team-leading 11th times this season. Emerson also stole two bases, scored two runs, and knocked in one. Thornell (2-4, R), Pigeon (2-4, R, RBI), Dan Jasmin (East Meadow, N.Y.), and Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) also recorded multiple hits for Bridgewater State. Jasmin singled twice and stole two bases in five at bats, while Lindsay went 2-for-4 with a walk, a pair of steals and a run.
The Bears stole seven bases on the afternoon.
Liam Howell (Sandwich, Mass.) suffered the loss on the mound for Maritime in relief of starter Sam Huffman (Guilford, Conn.). Howell (0-2) gave up three runs on three hits in 2/3 of an inning. Huffman, who left with one out in the sixth inning and the score tied at 3-3, allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits with four walks and six strikeouts.
Velzis (2-5, 2B, SB, R) and AJ Pietrafesa (Harwinton, Conn.) notched two hits apiece to lead the Buccaneer offense. Pietrafesa singled twice in five at bats and scored a run.
Up Next: The Bears entertain Wentworth tomorrow afternoon at three, while the Buccaneers host MASCAC foe MCLA on Friday afternoon at four.