By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team swept a key Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader Monday afternoon.

The first-place Bears defeated the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 8-0 and 13-2, at Alumni Park to open a 2 1/2-game lead in the conference.

The Buccaneers began the day just a half-game in back of BSU, which limited Mass. Maritime to only two runs and 11 hits in the two games.

The Bears (20-10) are 11-3 in the MASCAC, ahead of second-place Mass. Maritime, Westfield State and Worcester State, all at 9-6, with seven conference games to go.

It marks the fourth straight season that the Bears have reached 20 wins.

In the second game, senior shortstop Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) became the fourth player in program history to reach 200 hits in a career.

Game One: Bridgewater State 8, Mass. Maritime 0

Freshman Cameron Connolly (Peabody, Mass.) improved to 3-0, allowing three hits and striking out five over six strong innings.

Junior Matt Kustigian (Charlton, Mass.) pitched the final inning.

BSU took a 1-0 lead in the first as Lindsay doubled and senior Brendan Flaven (Taunton, Mass.) and junior Joshua Selander (Granby, Conn.) were hit by pitches.

Junior Ryan Flaherty (Duxbury, Mass.) drove in Lindsay with a sacrifice fly to right.

The Bears went up, 5-0, in the fourth inning.

Freshman Jamie Luna (Warwick, R.I.) drove in three runs with a triple to left field and Lindsay added an RBI single to center.

BSU made it 7-0 in the fifth as a run scored on an infield error and senior Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) added an RBI single.

In the sixth, Flaven singled to right and Selander doubled with a run-scoring on an outfield error.

Emerson, Lindsay and senior Philip Messina (Dunkirk, N.Y.) had two hits each for BSU while Luna had four RBI.

Mass. Maritime freshman Sean Hallissey (Plymouth, Mass.) took the loss, allowing four earned runs in four innings.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 13, Mass. Maritime 2

Lindsay's 200th hit came in the second inning with two outs and brought in two runs.

He joins teammate Emerson (224 hits) on the 200-hit list. Steve Smith is the all-time leader with 231 and Ed Grueter is third with 215.

BSU took control with an eight-run second inning.

Freshman Chase Beach (Orleans, Mass.) picked up his first collegiate win. Beach (1-1) allowed one earned run and six hits with three strikeouts in five solid innings against the Buccaneers.

BSU fell behind, 1-0, in the second on an RBI single by junior Michael Logiudice (Bridgewater, Mass.).

The Bears then struck for eight runs in the bottom of the inning.

Messina started things with a home run to left, his fifth of the season, to tie the game.

With two outs, senior DJ Prampin (Worcester, Mass.) walked and Luna singled to right. Emerson then reached on a fielder's choice with Prampin scoring on an infield error.

Lindsay's 200th hit through the left side scored two more runs and after Flaven walked, Selander doubled in two.

Flaherty then homered to left for two runs. Flaherty now has 12 homers, three shy of the school record set in 1986 by John Kiely with 15.

The Bears moved ahead, 9-1, in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Messina, which scored Flaven.

Mass. Maritime's final run scored on a wild pitch in the sixth inning.

BSU finished the scoring with four in the sixth.

Flaherty had an RBI single, an error scored the second run and Prampin doubled to right-center for a pair of runs.

Selander and Flaherty had two hits each for the Bears, who held a 9-7 edge over the Buccaneers.

BSU is home again on Wednesday to face Wentworth at 3:30 p.m.

Mass. Maritime plays on Friday at Framingham State at 3 p.m.