Fitchburg State Earns MASCAC Split At Worcester State

Falcons register 6-2 victory in game one; fall 13-4 in nightcap

WORCESTER, Mass. (April 27, 2010) - The Fitchburg State baseball team battled to a MASCAC season-split with Worcester State College this afternoon, posting  6-2 victory in game one before falling 13-4 in the nightcap.

Fitchburg State 6, Worcester State 2

Fitchburg State took advantage of two Worcester State errors and four unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning to post its 15th victory of the season in game one.

The Falcons received a solid offensive effort from junior Ricky Graham (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) who went 2-for-4 with a homerun, two runs scored and two RBI, while sophomore Michal Mercier (Townsend, Mass./Saint Bernards) and junior Nick Rocheleau (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) both added RBI singles.

Fitchburg State grabbed an early 2-1 lead through three innings of play sparked by Graham’s second frame, solo homerun, but the Falcons broke open the contest in the top of the fifth, registering three hits for a solid 6-1 lead. Using two Lancer errors to open the stanza, Fitchburg State began to mash, rifling off three consecutive hits to plate four runs. Rocheleau and Graham ignited the rally with back-to-back RBI singles before Mercier followed suit with a two-run single up the middle.

The Lancers added a single run in the bottom of the seventh as senior TJ Magnell (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) scored following his lead-off single, but the Fitchburg State pitching staff buckled down, recording the final three outs of the contest. Freshman Alex Teal (Malden, Mass./Malden) drew the spotlight for the Falcons, allowing only one earned run over his complete game effort. The freshman hurler improved to 3-3 on the season, scattering seven hits and three walks while striking out seven.

Junior Chad Kasik (Dudley, Mass./Shepherd Hill) suffered the loss for Worcester State, yielding six runs (one earned) on seven hits and fanning five, while freshman Shaun Slattery (Gardner, Mass./Gardner) threw two innings of strong relief for the Lancers, holding the Fitchburg State bats silent over the final two frames. 

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Worcester State 13, Fitchburg State 4

In the nightcap, Worcester State jumped out to a quick 6-0 first-inning lead and continued to cruise, posting their eighth league victory of the season.

Junior John Phelan (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) led the Fitchburg State game two approach, hitting 2-for-4 with a single, double and one run scored, while classmate Andrew Foster (E. Bridgewater, Mass./E. Bridgewater) finished 1-for-3 with a double, one run scored and two RBI. Junior Erik DiMauro (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) rounded out the Falcon big-hitters, going 1-for-2 with a double, a walk and one RBI.

The Lancers quickly erased their game-one loss, touching for six runs on four hits and one error in the bottom of the first inning. Junior Johno Hinkell (North Adams, Mass./Drury) notched the big first inning blow with a grand slam homerun, while freshman Chris Creen (Worcester, Mass./St. John’s) added a RBI single. In the third and fourth frames, Worcester State continued to pump its offense, adding six runs over the two-innings for a commanding 12-0 advantage.

Fitchburg State broke its scoring silence in the top of the fifth frame as Foster and DiMauro plated runs with a pair of RBI doubles, but the Falcons comeback was short-lived as the Lancers closed the contest one inning later.

Worcester State’s Bobby DeVito (Webster, Mass./Bartlett) earned the victory, tossing the first 5.2 innings of the contest. The junior thrower limited Fitchburg State to only four hits and four runs, while striking out five and walking three. Senior Nick Ryan (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) took the loss for Fitchburg State, allowing five runs in the opening frame.           

Fitchburg State (15-14, 6-6 MASCAC) will be back in action tomorrow as it host UMass Boston at 3:30 p.m. Worcester State (25-8-1, 8-4 MASCAC) will host Fisher College on Thursday at 4 p.m.

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