WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Westfield State University baseball team rallied and then held on for an 8-7 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) victory over visiting Bridgewater State University on Friday afternoon at Bud & Jim Hagen Field.
The Owls improve to 17-18 on the season and 11-8 in the MASCAC, while the Bears fall to 29-9 overall and 15-4 in conference play. Despite the loss, Bridgewater clinched at least a share of the MASCAC regular season title.
Ethan Day (Meriden, Conn.) went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, two runs and four RBI to lead the way for Westfield State.
Bridgewater was poised to take the early lead as the Bears had runners at second and third with nobody out and the bases loaded with one out in the top of the first but were unable to score.
Justin Niedel (Attleboro, Mass.) led off the bottom of the first with a base hit, stole second and scored on a two-out, RBI single by Day to give the Owls a 1-0 lead.
The Bears capitalized on four Westfield errors to push across three runs in the top of the second. Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.), Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.), Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) and Cam James (Ipswich, Mass.) each recorded base hits in the frame with Wladkowski capping off the inning with an RBI single.
Wladkowski doubled and Riley Thornell (Wareham, Mass.) walked in the fourth and both runners scored on a clutch two-out, two-run double by Joshua Selander (Granby, Conn.) to extend the BSU lead to 5-1.
The Owls loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the fifth but did not score.
The game changed in the bottom of the seventh. A leadoff error followed by three straight walks opened the door for a five-run Westfield inning. Devin Slattery (Ware, Mass.) connected for a two-run double to pull the Owls to within one, and John Nicherson (Chelmsford, Mass.) lined a two-out, two-run single into centerfield to give the hosts a 6-5 lead.
Day blasted a two-run homer over the centerfield fence in the eighth to make it an 8-5 game. The home run would prove to be the difference in the game.
A two-out RBI single by Nolan DeAndrade (Bridgewater, Mass.) followed by an RBI double by Mathew Pigeon (Canton, Mass.) in the top of the ninth cut the Bears' deficit to 8-7. With the tying run at third base and go ahead run at second, Niedel made a terrific diving grab in right field on a lower liner by Sean Goudey (Weymouth, Mass.) to end the game.
Joe Fischer (Avon, Mass.) picked up the win in relief for Westfield State. Fischer (2-2) allowed two runs on two hits over 4 2/3 innings of work with two walks and two strikeouts. Joe Espinola (Plymouth, Mass.) got the final two outs of the game to record his fourth save of the season. Espinola gave up a pair of hits and allowed a pair of inherited runners to score.
Matthew Seavey (North Attleboro, Mass.) allowed just one and scattered four hits over six innings of work but did not factor in the decision. Seavey walked three and struck out five. He also hit a batter.
The Bears' bullpen gave up seven runs (four earned) on three hits and four walks in two innings.
Wladkowski went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, a run, and an RBI to pace the BSU offense. Emerson (2-4, R) also recorded multiple hits for the Bears.
Up Next: The two teams will wrap up regular season play tomorrow afternoon at Bridgewater State's Alumni Park. Game one of the MASCAC doubleheader will get underway at noon. The Bears need to win one of the two games to clinch the conference regular season title outright.