Fitchburg State Drops A Pair Vs. Roger Williams

Falcons fall 3-1 in game one; suffer 11-3 loss in nightcap

AUBURNDALE, Fla. (March 10, 2012) – The Fitchburg State baseball team  dropped a pair of non-conference contest this afternoon, falling 3-1 and 11-3 to Roger Williams University at the Lake Myrtle Baseball Complex in Auburndale, Florida.

Roger Williams 3, Fitchburg State 0 (Game 1)

In the opener, Roger Williams starter Sean Boyle (Arlington, Mass./Arlington) limited Fitchburg State to just four hits as the Hawks posted a 3-1 victory at Lake Myrtle Baseball Complex.

Despite strong effort from Fitchburg State starter Tynan Flegg (Calgary, AB/National Sport Academy), Roger Williams was able to muster just enough offense to earn its first victory of the season. The Hawks did most of their damage in the second inning, loading the bases with a pair of walks and single from Eric Bransfield (Lynn, Mass./Lynn English). Senior Chris Comeau (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug) then stepped in and laced an RBI single to give Roger Williams a one run lead before Trevor Manzi (Beverly, Mass./St. John's Prep) beat out an infield single for a 2-0 advantage.

RWU added unearned run in the fifth as sophomore Mike Pascarella (Milford, Conn./Foran) swiped two bases and later scored on a John Oppenhimer (Westport, Conn./Staples) single through the right side.

The Falcons got a run back in the bottom of the sixth as Jeff Boice (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) led off with a single up the middle and advance to second on his second theft of the game. Junior David Mason (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) followed with a walk and two batters later classmate Cody Bamforth (Vernon, Conn./Rockville) put the Falcons on the board with a groundout to first base.

Flegg (0-1) finished with a strong line for the Falcons, allowing just five hits and two earned runs, while striking out six in the complete game effort. Boice led the Falcons offensively, hitting 2-for-3 with a run scored, while junior Chris Rivera (New Britain, Conn./New Britain) added a double in his first game as a Falcon.

Roger Williams 11, Fitchburg State 3 (Game 2)

In the nightcap, Roger Williams exploded for an eight run, sixth inning to post an 11-3 victory and complete the doubleheader sweep.

RWU got off to a strong start, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, using a two-run double from Bransfield, but Fitchburg State answered with single run in top of the second to cut its deficit to only one. Senior Frank Yavorosky (Westminster, Mass./Narragansett) sparked the Falcons with a leadoff double, while newcomer Shawn Trombley (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) plated the Fitchburg run with a groundout to second base.

The Hawks added an unearned run in the bottom of the second to regain a two-run advantage, before exploding for an eight run, sixth to break the game open. Bransfield led the Roger Williams charged, hitting 2-for-4 with a double, homerun and four RBI, while Oppenhimer finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored

For the Falcons, Boice garnered another two hit performance, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, while Szajner added a pair of hits and one stolen base.

On the mound, senior Perry Russo (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford) suffered the loss for Fitchburg State, yielding five earned runs over 5.1 IP. Freshman Brendan Telfer (Avon, Conn./Avon) earned the victory for the Hawks, tossing 4.0 IP with only five hits and one run allowed.

Fitchburg State (0-2, 0-0 MASCAC) will be back in action tomorrow as it battles Rhode Island College in a twinbill beginning at 1 p.m. Roger Williams (2-2, 0-0 TCCC) will face Spaulding College in a single contest tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.