Fitchburg State Edged in Conference Doubleheader by Mass. Maritime

FITCHBURG, Mass. - The Fitchburg State University baseball team dropped a pair in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) play this afternoon by a combined deficit of two runs to the Buccaneers of Mass. Maritime at Riccards Field.

Fitchburg State had six hits on the day and Mass Maritime knocked 13 in its doubleheader sweep. 

Falcons Tommy Parsons and Javier Lozada totaled 17 punch-outs while both being hit with their first conferences losses of the season. 

Mass. Maritime's Jake Petruzzelli reached base five times going 3-for-5 on the day while Greg Downs walked twice, with one homerun, and a single in the two contests. 

Fitchburg State (7-13; 2-2 MASCAC) will return home on Tuesday April 12^th to take on the Corsairs of UMass Dartmouth at 3:30 P.M.

Mass. Maritime (10-8, 2-0 MASCAC) quickly jumps back into conference play with a doubleheader at home against Worcester State tomorrow at 1:00 P.M.

Game One, 3-2 Final

A sixth inning lead-off triple from outfielder William Keane became the eventual winning run when teammate Riley Fusaro drove him home on a sacrifice fly to give the visiting Buccaneers a 3-2 victory in game one.

Fitchburg State lefty Tommy Parsons had a season-high 11 strikeouts in a complete game effort being hit with his third loss of the year for a 3-3 mark. 

His opponent on the hill, Alex Rozak allowed two runs on five hits and picked up the his second victory to push his record to 2-3 on the season. 

In the third inning the Buccaneers scored the first run of the day when junior second baseman Jake Petruzzelli cashed in with a runner on third, plating Fusaro with a single to left field to take the lead.

The next frame the visitors were able to double their advantage after a botched pick-off attempt allowed senior Greg Downs to score from third base (2-0). 

While trailing in the bottom of the fifth the Green and Gold knotted the score when a throwing error from third baseman Nathan Anderson scored two Falcons to tie the ballgame (2-2). 

The next half inning the Buccaneers grabbed the go-ahead run when Keane sent a line drive over the head of Robert Lewis in right field for a lead-off triple before being brought home by Fasaro's sacrifice fly to left. 

Mass. Maritime then turned to senior Kyle Kennedy who completed a two inning save opportunity by setting down six consecutive Falcons for his second save and the 3-2 win in the first set. 

Freshman Noah Millard had a 2-for-3 game at the plate with a double in the fourth inning for Fitchburg State.

Petruzzelli picked up two singles with an RBI to lead the Buccaneers offensively in the first game.  

Game Two, 2-1 Final

Junior right-handed pitcher Daniel Avery controlled the pace in the second contest with six strong innings allowing no runs on three hits with six strikeouts to propel the Buccaneers past the Falcons, 2-1.

Senior righty Javier Lozada went the distance for Fitchburg State striking out six and walking two while taking the loss, his first of 2016. 

After two scoreless innings senior first-baseman Greg Downs squared up on a 0-2 fastball, sending it over the centerfield fence and past the outstretched glove of Andrew Currie to open the top of the third with a solo homer (1-0). 

In the top of the fifth Downs again came through to lead off the inning with a single to left. After being bunted over to second, then taking third on a passed ball, Downs scored to double the Mass Maritime lead when outfielder Connor Kennedy hit a fly ball deep enough in left to score the runner on third base (2-0). 

The hosts cut into the gap in the next half inning as Steven Drury began the frame with a single, swiping second base before being moved over with a sacrifice fly. Later he came around to score the first run of the game for the Falcons on a wild pitch (2-1). 

With an opportunity to tie the game in the bottom half of the sixth Fitchburg's base running blunder on a sharply hit line-drive ended the inning with a double play for the Buccaneers, haulting the Falcon's scoring oppourtunity.  

Mass Maritime again turned to closer Kyle Kennedy for the save and the big right-hander ended the game with a one-two-three bottom of the seventh for his third save of the season and the conference sweep. 

The visiting Buccaneers were led by Downs' 2-for-3 game, scoring both runs. Catcher Cole Gerbis also picked up a pair of base knocks going 2-for-3 with two singles in game two. 

Nathan Littman, Steven Drury, and, Roel Fernandez had the only hits for the Green and Gold in the game two, all going 1-for-3 at the dish. 

Release Courtesy of Fitchburg State Journalist Kyle Prudhomme