BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Nolan DeAndrade (Bridgewater, Mass.) belted a pair of home runs and Tyler Dasilva-Medeiros (Taunton, Mass.) set the Bears' all-time saves mark as the Bridgewater State University baseball team posted a 14-7 win over visiting Wentworth on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Park.
The Bears improve to 22-7 on the season, while the visiting Leopards fall to 2-23. Bridgewater is now 13-1 versus Wentworth since 1991 with all 14 contests taking place at Bridgewater.
Dasilva-Medeiros came on with the bases loaded with one out in the top of the eighth inning with the Bears clinging to a 10-7 lead. He fanned the first batter he faced and then induced a harmless fly out to center to get out of the jam. The senior righthander worked around a one-out double in the ninth as he struck out two in the frame including the final batter of the game to record his fifth save of the season and 16th of his career. Dasilva-Medeiros eclipsed the previous program mark of 15 saves set by Kevin O'Leary in 1996 and equaled by BSU Hall of Famer Fred Martin in 1998.
The Bears trailed 7-3 through 4 ½ innings of play as they stranded nine runners over the first four innings
Nolan McManus (Milton, Mass.) blasted a two-run homer over the right field fence in the top of the first to stake the visitors to the early 2-0 lead. The home run marked the team-leading third of the season for McManus and his second in as many days.
The Bears got one back in the home half of the first. Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) lined a base hit up the middle with one out and scored all the way from first on a triple to centerfield by Cam James (Ipswich, Mass.). Consecutive walks loaded the bases with one out, but the Bears would leave them loaded as back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning.
The Leopards extended the lead to 3-1 in the top of the second inning. Matt Robinson (Mystic, Conn.) led off the frame with a double to the warning track in left field, moved third on a fly out and raced home on a wild pitch.
DeAndrade smacked his first collegiate home run, a solo shot to straight away centerfield, to cut the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the second.
An RBI ground out and a BSU throwing error resulted in two Leopard runs in the top of the third.
Bridgewater loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the third on singles by Joey Molis (Cumberland, R.I.), DJ Prampin (Worcester, Mass.) and Kyle Suraci (Clinton, Conn.). After a strikeout, Theo Levinson (Arlington Heights, Ill.) reached on an infield single to plate Molis and pull the Bears to within 5-3.
Following a scoreless fourth inning, both teams made some noise in the fifth. A.T. DiPina (Pawtucket, R.I.) doubled home a run and scored on an RBI single by Robinson to increase the Wentworth advantage to 7-3. The Bears rallied for four runs in the home half of the fifth with all the damage coming with two outs. Prampin led off the inning with a bunt single and stole second. Two out later, Levinson dropped an RBI single into right field, Emerson followed with a base hit and Wladkowski connected for a two-run single to make it a one-run game. Wladkowski then scored all the way from first on James' RBI double to knot the score at 7-7.
DeAndrade gave the Bears' their first lead of the game (9-7) in the bottom of the sixth as he belted a two-run homer over the right field fence.
Bridgewater tacked on an unearned run in the seventh, and then put the game out of reach with a four-run eighth inning highlighted by a Wladkowski three-run homer. All four runs were unearned as a Wentworth error with two outs in the frame kept the inning alive.
Wladkowski went 3-for-6 with a home run, a stolen base, three runs and five RBI to pace the Bears' 17-hit attack. James was a home run shy of the cycle as he was 3-for-6 at the plate with a double, triple, a run and two RBI. He also stole three bases.
Emerson (2-6, 2SB, 2R), Prampin (2-5, SB, R), DeAndrade (2-4, 2HR, BB, 3R, 3RBI), Levinson (2-4, R, 2RBI) also recorded multiple hits for Bridgewater State.
The Bears recorded a season-high nine stolen bases on the afternoon. Emerson's stolen base in the eighth inning marked the 50th of his career.
Nathan LaBonte (Raynham, Mass.) picked up the win in relief for the hosts. LaBonte (3-0) tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings as he allowed two hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts before turning the game over to Dasilva-Medeiros.
Clayton Harper (Somerset, Mass.) suffered the loss on the hill for Wentworth. Harper (0-2) gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits over two innings of relief with one walk and three strikeouts. Matt Ferrara (East Taunton, Mass.) got the start for the Leopards as he allowed seven runs on 13 hits over 4 2/3 innings with two walks and ten strikeouts.
Robinson (3-5, 2 2B, R, RBI) and Christian Peruzzi (Plymouth, Mass.) notched three hits apiece for Wentworth. Peruzzi went 3-for-5 and scored three runs. McManus finished 2-for-5 at the plate with the home run and three RBI.
Up Next: The Bears travel to Fitchburg State University on Friday afternoon for a three o'clock MASCAC game with the Falcons. The Leopards entertain Suffolk University in a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader on Saturday with game one getting underway at 11:00 AM.