Eastern Nazarene Surges Past Fitchburg State, 8-4

Zajac paces Falcons with a 2-for-3 performance and two RBI

QUINCY, Mass. (April 4, 2013) – The Fitchburg State baseball team fell victim to a six-run third inning by Eastern Nazarene as the Falcons fell, 8-4 in non-conference action at Bradley Field this afternoon.

The Lions rise to 7-11 on the season with the victory while the Falcons dip to 9-6-1 overall.

Pat Yee (Lynnfield, Mass.) recorded a team-best three hits on the day to lead Eastern Nazarene while Max Pugh (San Diego, Calif.) landed two hits and drove in a pair. David Manning (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) also registered a pair of base knocks, while Jake Koch (Dayton, Nev.) plated a pair of runs, posting his first home run of the season.

Fitchburg State grabbed an early 3-0 lead after three at-bats as Matt Zajac (New Hartford, Conn.) laced an RBI single in the second inning and senior Cody Bamforth (Vernon, Conn.) connected for a two-run double in the third.

In the bottom half of the third, Eastern Nazarene's offense exploded for six runs, sparked by a two-run single from Pugh.  Anthony Berroa (Teaneck, N.J.) gave the Lions a one-run edge, 4-3, as he scampered home from third on a wild pitch before Koch capped off the scoring in the third, belting a two-run homer over the centerfield fence. 

The Falcons cut the deficit to 6-4 in the fifth as Zajac picked up his second RBI of the contest, lifting a sacrifice fly to right which allowed David Mason (Leominster, Mass.) to tag up and score.

Rookie Spyro Varetimos (North Attleboro, Mass.) fanned four batters in just 2.2 innings of work as he started on the mound for the Lions. Doug English (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) earned his first win of the spring, tossing 1.1 innings of relief while striking out one batter, while senior Dylan Smith (New London, Conn.) suffered the loss for the Falcons. 

Fitchburg State (9-6-1, 1-1 MASCAC) will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as it hosts Clark University at McLaughlin Park starting at 3:30 p.m.