LYNN, Mass. - The Worcester State University baseball team played a doubleheader against Fisher College today at Fraser Field, splitting the games one apiece. The Lancers won game one 7-6 but dropped the second 7-6.
The split moves Worcester State to 8-2 on the season, while Fisher moves to 21-8.
Game 1 - Worcester State 7, Fisher 6
The Lancers started off strong in game one, exploding for a three-run first inning. Junior Sean Devin (Lynn, Mass.) scored senior Pat Galvin (Shrewsbury, Mass.) on a single for the first run. Sophomore Chris Ausiello (Tyngsboro, Mass.) did the rest of the damage, scoring sophomore Zach Landry (Mashpee, Mass.) and Devin on a two-RBI single to right.
The Lancers continued to pile it on in the third. Senior Jake Breton (Wilbraham, Mass.) singled to start the inning before Ausiello scored him with a sac-fly to right field to put the Lancers up 4-0 after three.
Fisher fired back in the fourth, however. Freshman Ivanuel Hernandez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) homered to right, scoring sophomore John Batista (Lawrence, Mass.). The Falcons were not done there, though. They then exploded for a monster four-run sixth inning. Hernandez scored junior Jonathan Rosado (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) on a double to center. Freshman Dennis Santiago (Orlando, Fla.) then singled to right, scoring Batista, who had singled earlier that inning. Freshman Emmanuel Rosado (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) would then bring Hernandez home on a ground out to second.
Junior Jacob Deziel (Merrimac, Mass.) wrapped up the action by scoring Santiago with a double down the left-field line. The Falcons found themselves up 6-4 after six.
Worcester State would then go on to squeak by with some late-game heroics. Ausiello found himself in the middle of the action once again, scoring Breton on a single to right. Sophomore Zack Roberts (Northbridge, Mass.) would then single to load the bases, allowing freshman Tom Halliwell (Leominster, Mass.) to score on the next play when junior Michael Mabee Jr. (Saugus, Mass.) was hit by a pitch. Sophomore Chris Wright (Jefferson, Mass.) brought home Ausiello on a fielder's choice a batter later to give Worcester State its second lead of the day..
Senior Parker Bigelow (Leominster, Mass.) was able to shut down the Falcons on the mound in the bottom of the ninth, securing a 7-6 win for the Lancers.
The Falcons cycled through four pitchers in game one - senior Johann Doerrer (Dolgeville, N.Y.), first-year Fernando Ortiz (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico), senior Jose Galan (Alta, Puerto Rico), and sophomore Angel Rivera (Caguas, Puerto Rico). Doerrer pitched the majority of the game, going seven innings and allowing four runs. Galan was credited with the loss.
As for the Lancers, senior Sean Mahan (Woburn, Mass.) took the mound for the first five innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Sophomore Cole Glassburn (Hopkinton, Mass.) came in to pitch six, seven, and eight, allowing four runs on five hits. He was credited with the win. Bigelow was able to close out the game in the ninth, allowing only one hit and earning the save.
Game 2 - Fisher 7, Worcester State 6
The second game was another high-scoring affair, but this time it was Fisher who struck first. Senior Mitchell Lundholm (Plymouth, Mass.) started off the scoring by bringing home Santiago on a single up the middle. Junior Nicholas Lucchese (Long Island, N.Y.) was then able to score on a throwing error just one play later. Batista wrapped up the scoring for the inning, scoring Lundholm on a sac-fly to center. The Falcons found themselves up 3-0 after the first.
The hosts went on to add to their lead in the second and third. Santiago scored junior Victor Torres (Rochester, N.Y.) with a single in the second. Junior Reynaldo Mejia (Lawrence, Mass.) would then score Deziel on a single in the third. This put Fisher up 5-0 at the end of the third.
After a quiet first four innings, Worcester State would do all of their damage in the fifth. Three of their six runs were brought home on a single play, when Galvin singled up the middle and the centerfielder made a massive error on the throw. Halliwell, junior Brett Blackwell (Haverhill, Mass.), and Ausiello all scored on the error.
Breton would continue the Lancers' onslaught of runs, scoring Galvin with a single to the right side. Devin then scored Breton later in the inning with a single. Landry scampering in to score on a wild pitch wrapped up a hectic, six-run inning for Worcester State. They led 6-5 after five.
Fisher was not going down without a fight, however, as they tied things up in the eighth on a single from Lucchese. He brought home Torres and the Falcons set themselves up for what would be an electric ninth inning.
Jonathan Rosado got on base with a walk to start the ninth, and then Hernandez singled two batters later. Junior Elijah Perez (Lawrence, Mass.) would then win it for Fisher with a walk-off single that scored Rosado, scraping by with a 7-6 win.
Junior Norberto Ceballos (Loiza, Puerto Rico) and sophomore Angel Alicea (Caguas, Puerto Rico) split the pitching duties for Fisher in game two. Ceballos pitched the first half while Alicea pitched the second half and got the win. None of the runs scored by Worcester State were earned.
Four pitchers split duties on the mound for Worcester State - senior Chris Elliott (Plymouth, Mass.), Kevin Zarnoch Jr. (Boston, Mass.), freshman Cameron Taubert (South Yarmouth, Mass.), and Bigelow. Elliott and Zarnoch pitched four innings apiece, while Taubert and Bigelow combined to pitch the ninth. Taubert was credited with the loss.
Worcester State will be back in action against Fisher once again on April 9. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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