Fitchburg State Opens 2016 Campaign with a Doubleheader Split Against Coast Guard

NORTHBORO, Mass. – Senior Mark Behne's three-run homer in the second game of a doubleheader lifted the Bears a to 5-3  win over Fitchburg State as the Bears salvaged a split of a doubleheader to open the season at the New England Baseball Complex. The Bears led the opener 4-1 in the sixth before Fitchburg scored nine times in the final two innings for the 10-4 win.

GAME ONE – FITCHBURG STATE 10, COAST GUARD 4

The Falcons erupted for nine runs off the Coast Guard bullpen in the sixth and seventh innings to erase a 4-1 lead and beat the Bears 10-4.

Following a pair of hit batters to start the top of the sixth, Derrick Frazier's 3-run homer tied the game. Nathan Littman's two-run single gave Fitchburg a 6-4 lead.

In the seventh, the Falcons added four insurance runs. It started with RBI singles by Riley Shea and Frazier pushing the lead to 8-4. An RBI ground out by Vianchi Pujols and an RBI single by Drew Mazzeo closed the scoring.

Junior Eric Vrissis (0-1) took the loss in relief. Junior Luke Sniatkowski started and went five solid innings allowing just three hits and an earned run while walking four and striking out one for Coast Guard.

Tommy Parsons (1-0) picked up the win in relief as he went 2 1/3 innings allowing three hits and an earned run while striking out two. 

Fitchburg took a 1-0 lead in the first on a two-out RBI triple by Robert Lewis scoring Steven Drury who drew a two-out walk.

The Bears took the lead in the home half of the third as junior Kyle Jackson was hit by a pitch, freshman Luke Thompson singled before junior Timbo Duncan delivered a two-out, two-run triple to give Coast Guard a 2-1 lead. In the fourth, sophomore Alex Murdoch led off with a single, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Jackson to extend the lead to 3-1.

The Falcons threatened in the top of the fifth with runners on second and third and just one out. Sniakowski struck out the cleanup hitter Drury before Vianchi Pujols was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.Coast Guard would increase the lead to 4-1 in the fifth on an RBI single by senior Kyle Wood.

Duncan and Thompson each had two hits for the Bears while Frazier had two hits and four RBI for Fitchburg State.

GAME TWO – COAST GUARD 5, FITCHBURG STATE 3

Brendan Cutler's two-run double gave the Falcons a 2-0 lead in the first. Coast Guard got one back in the second on an RBI single by sophomore Christian Toscano scoring classmate Zach Serna, who had doubled.

The Bears took the lead in the third as Jackson doubled, Thompson singled and Behne belted a three-run homer to give the Bears a 4-2 lead. Fitchburg got an unearned run in the fourth closing the gap to 4-3. Serna's sacrifice fly in the home half of the fifth gave Coast Guard a 5-3 lead.

Junior Colton Cannon went five innings allowing five hits, two earned runs while walking two and fanning six. Sophomore Cody Bain worked the final two innings and allowed two hits and struck out two to earn the save.

Evan Meleedy (0-1) was the starter and loser for the Falcons. He went three innings and allowed six hits and four earned runs.

Behne had a pair of hits in the game two win for the Bears. Littman was 3 for 3 for Fitchburg in the nightcap while Lewis had a pair of hits. (Recap courtesy of USCGA Sports Information)