#4 Westfield State Rallies Past #5 Fitchburg State, 7-6

Cutler tosses six strong innings for Falcons despite loss

WESTFIELD, Mass. (May 2, 2014) - Westfield State University rallied for five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning for a thrilling 7-6 victory over Fitchburg State University in the quarterfinals of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) baseball tournament on Friday, May 2.

The stunning comeback victory vaults No. 4 seed Westfield State (16-17-1) in the tournament semifinals, and the Owls will play at No. 1 seed Worcester State on Saturday, May 3, at 12:00. Westfield swept Worcester State (4-2, 6-1) in the regular season doubleheader.

It was the third straight victory for Westfield over No. 5 Fitchburg State (22-17). The Owls swept the Falcons in a regular season-ending doubleheader last Sunday, including a comeback 5-4, 10-inning victory in the opener.

Westfield fell behind Fitchburg 6-0 midway through the tournament game, and the Owls trailed 6-2 and were being outhit 11-3 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning.

Westfield first-team all-conference center fielder Dan McCormack beat out an infield single to the pitcher to begin the eighth-inning charge. Tyler Adams was hit by a pitch and Ryan Magni (W. Springfield, Mass.) was called on to pitch in relief.

The Owls scored their first run in the eighth when E.G. McMillan reached on a fielder's choice and McCormack scored on a shortstop throwing error to first base on the 4-6-3 double play attempt.

Tim Santilli struck out swinging then the Owls rallied for four runs with two outs. Pat McWilliams drew a walk and D.J. Bishop ripped an RBI single up the middle to make the score 6-4.

Danny DiMatteo lofted an RBI single to right-center field to make the score 6-5 and Magni was replaced on the mound by Javier Lazod.

Kyle Colesanti lined a game-tying RBI single to plate Bishop, and in a key play in the game, both Colesanti and DiMatteo advanced a base, to second and third, respectively, on a fielding error by the center fielder on Colesanti's single. DiMatteo then scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch to cap the dramatic comeback.

Senior closer Kevin Zyrkowski retired the Falcons in order in the ninth and the Owls held another post-game celebration in the infield.

Fitchburg was in control in the first half of the game. The Falcons took a 2-0 fifth-inning lead on a two-out, two-run single through the left side by Pierce Hans (Washington Township, N.J.)

Fitchburg scored four runs with two outs in the sixth inning to take what appeared to be a commanding 6-0 lead as the Owls had collected only one hit at that point in the game.

Clayton Beaulieu (Chicopee, Mass.) rapped a run-scoring single and Steven Drury, Jr. (Ashburnham, Mass.) drew a bases-loaded walk that knocked Owl starter Peter Cassidy from the game. Hans then drove in two more runs with a single to left field off reliever Mike Sullivan.

Westfield finally dented the scoreboard with two runs in the home half of the sixth. Jeremy Tanguay singled and McCormack walked. Tyler Adams grounded out, advancing the runners, and McMillan had and RBI groundout. Following a walk to Santilli, McWilliams stroked an RBI single to right-center.

DiMatteo was the only Owl with multiple hits; he was 2 for 3. Mike St. John (Rehoboth, Mass.) was 4 for 4 for the Falcons and Hans was 2 for 5 with his four RBI. Beaulieu was 2 for 3 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Cassidy pitched five and two-thirds innings, allowing nine hits, six runs and three walks and striking out five. Sullivan faced eight batters and allowed two hits in two complete innings, while Zyrkowski retired all four batters he faced.

Kyle Cutler (Clinton, Mass.) pitched six complete innings for Fitchburg and had a no-hitter until a DiMatteo single with two outs in the fifth. He allowed two runs, three hits and four walks and fanned six. Magni, the third of four Falcon hurlers, was credited with the loss.