Falcons Sweep Bears, Earn Trip to MASCAC Championship

May & Ferrell Pace Club with 4 Hits

Bridgewater, Mass. – The Fitchburg State baseball team swept the Bears of Bridgewater State University on Friday afternoon at Alumni Field. The Falcons took game one (1-0) and won the nightcap 4-2 in eight innings. With the win the Falcons secure a spot in the upcoming MASCAC Baseball Championship.

The Basics

Game 1: Fitchburg State 1, Bridgewater State 0
Game 2: Fitchburg State 2, Bridgewater State 4 (8 Innings)
Records: Fitchburg State (10-9, 7-3 MASCAC) | Bridgewater State (10-17, 4-6 MASCAC)

How It Happened: Game 1

The stellar pitching of Richard Sharpe (Townsend, Mass.) propelled the Falcons to a 1-0 win over the Bears. Sharpe threw a 7 inning complete game shutout scattering just two hits, and a walk with 6 strikeouts for his first win of the season.  

The Falcons scored the only run they would need in the top of the second inning.  Senior Johan Asencio (Clinton, Mass.) led off the inning with an infield single and moved to second after Matthew Pingitore (Rutland, Mass.) walked with no outs. Cameron Donahue (Methuen, Mass.) plated Asencio with a double down the left field line, for the early 1-0 lead.

Bridgewater's best chance for a run came in the home half of the fifth inning. First year Joey Molis (Cumberland, RI) led off the frame with a single through the left side. With two outs, Molis was caught stealing by Pingitore to end the threat.

Inside the Numbers: Game 1

• Zachary May (Rochdale, Mass.) and Donahue had two hits each for the Green and Gold
• The Falcons didn't allow a runner past second base
• Luke Tamulevich (Whitman, Mass.) and Molis had the hits for the Bears
• David Kerns (East Cambridge, Mass.) took the loss, allowing just the one run on seven hits and 2 k's over seven innings.
• Sharpe threw 80 pitches (53 strikes) and faced only 23 batters

How It Happened: Game 2

Nicholas Cordeau (Melrose, Mass.) and Brendan Ferrell (Plymouth, Mass.) singled and May drew a walk to load the bases full of Falcons in the top of the first frame but the Green and Gold could only muster one run on a defensive miscue by the Bears.

The Falcons doubled the lead in the top of the 6^th inning. With one out Donahue laced his second double of the day to right center field and came around to score on a RBI single from Nick Cordeau.

The hosts wouldn't give in and scratched together two runs to tie the game in the bottom of the frame.  Kyle Suraci (Clinton, CT) had an infield hit for an RBI and Cam James (Ipswich, Mass.) scored on a wild pitch to send the game to extra innings.

In the top of the eighth with two outs and two runners on Zach May delivered the game-winning RBI to center field, the Falcons tacked on an insurance run to lead 4-2. May then turned around and pitched a clean inning for his third save of the season.

Inside the Numbers: Game 2

• Taryn Laramie (Franklin, NH) started game two, he allowed 2 earned runs on 3 hits with 7 K's
• Austin Alzate (Narragansett, RI) pitched 1.2 relief innings with 2k's and one hit to record his second win of the season
• The Falcons cranked out 13 hits, Cordeau and Ferrell each had three apiece
• Suraci paced the Bears with two hits
• Lucas DiTonodo (Marshfield, Mass.) took the loss for the bears allowing one run on one hit and two walks

Up Next

Falcons will host the Bears tomorrow at Riccards Field for a non-conference set of two games starting at noon.