Fitchburg State Splits With Dubuque
Fitchburg State Splits With Dubuque
Falcons edged 6-4 in game one; notch 17-13 victory in game two
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (March11, 2009) - The Fitchburg State baseball team battled to a 1-1 split with the University of Dubuque this afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader. The Spartans took game one 6-4, before the Falcons posted a 17-13 victory in game two.
Dubuque 6, Fitchburg State 4
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Senior Aaron Granahan (Thomaston, Conn./Thomaston) led the Fitchburg state game one charge, hitting a perfect 3-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI. Freshman Pat Hughes (North Port, Fla./North Port) added one hit and one run scored, while sophomores Ricky Graham (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) and John Phelan (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) rounded out the Falcons attack with one base-hit each.
Fitchburg State opened the scoring immediately, touching the plate two times on two hits in the first inning. Granahan got the hitting started for the Falcons with a base-hit while classmate Andy Sauer (Willington, Conn./E.O. Smith) followed with a walk. Graham then stepped in and laced an RBI single to right center giving the Falcons the early edge.
Dubuque rallied back in the top half of the fourth inning, plating two runs on two hits and one walk. Freshman Jesse Ramirez (Santa Fe Springs, Calif./Santa Fe) opened the inning with a lead-off walk while junior Shadi Abuhakemah (Sante Fe Springs, Calif./Compton) and senior Chris Duran (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) connected for back-to-back RBI doubles.
Fitchburg State added a run in the bottom of the fourth frame, but Dubuque collected four unanswered runs to secure the victory. Sauer suffered the loss for the Falcons (1-1), yielding five runs (two earned) in 4.1 innings of work. The veteran hurler recorded three strikeouts while only walking one. Senior Jordan Skaar (Trempealeau, Wis./GET) earned the victory for the Spartans, tossing a complete game, six-hitter while striking out six.
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Fitchburg State 17, Dubuque 13
ANDY SAUER |
Sauer led the Fitchburg State 17 hit parade, finishing 4-for-5 with four singles, one run scored and a game-high six RBI. Senior Kris Breen (Griswold, Conn./Griswold) had a solid afternoon, hitting 2-for-4 with one run scored and three RBI, while Graham notched a single, double, two runs scored and one RBI.
Trailing 6-5 heading into the fifth frame, Fitchburg State exploded for 12 runs, including nine runs with two outs, to take a commanding 17-6 lead. Sauer and Breen ignited the Falcon rally with RBI base-hits, while Graham launched an RBI triple to left center. Sophomore AJ Balderelli (Holland, Mass./Tantasqua Regional) followed with a RBI double to deep left while Phelan, Morrison and sophomore Erik DiMauro (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) chipped in with RBI singles.
Dubuque responded immediately in the bottom half of the frame, taking advantage of four walks and three hit batsmen to plate seven runs. Fitchburg State was able to stop the bleeding as sophomore Mike Scaramellino (Dover Plains, N.Y./Dover Plains) tossed two innings of scoreless relief while posting two strikeouts.
Freshman Perry Russo (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford) earned his first collegiate victory in relief for the Falcons, scattering two hits in one inning of work. Freshman Mike Loney (East Dubuque, Ill./Dubuque) suffered the loss for the Spartans, allowing four earned runs in 0.1 innings of relief.
Fitchburg State (6-2, 0-0 MASCAC) is back in action tomorrow against WPI at 9:30 a.m. Dubuque (2-3, 0-0 IIAC) will hit the field tomorrow against Gordon College at 9:30 a.m.