Fitchburg State Advances in MASCAC Tournament with 8-5 Win Over Framingham State

FITCHBURG, Mass. - Sophomore Luis Ortiz picked up three RBI, and scored two runs, on a 2-for-4 day, as the Fitchburg State University Falcons defeated the Framingham State University Rams, 8-5, in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) baseball tournament action at Riccards Field.

Sophomore southpaw Tommy Parsons went seven strong innings en route to his sixth victory of the season, allowing one earned run and scattering three hits while fanning five.

For Framingham State junior Manny Powers and senior Zach Kirby each completed four innings of work with Kirby being charged with six runs off four Fitchburg hits.

In the bottom of the first Fitchburg State squandered a golden opportunity to get on the board with runners on second and third and no outs before Framingham State turned a double play, and closed out the inning on a fly-out to right field to end the threat.

The Green and Gold took the lead with two outs and the bases jammed in the bottom of the fourth when Ortiz hit one hard on the ground and into the grass in left to score a pair for Fitchburg (2-0).

Framingham State quickly cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth as freshman Kyle Lippert plated classmate Aaron Williams with a single through the left-side of the infield for the Rams first score of the game (2-1).

After Parsons stranded the tying run at second base in the top of the sixth, Fitchburg State went back to work offensively scoring four in the bottom of the frame with sophomore Andrew Currie supplying the big hit of the inning – a two-rbi triple out of the reach of the right fielder to increase the gap for the Falcons (6-1).

Framingham State scored a run in each of the seventh and eighth innings (6-3) before Fitchburg State added late insurance to its lead in the bottom of the eighth as shortstop Andrew Mooney hit a ball up the middle to score a pair of Falcons (8-3).

The Rams made some noise in the top of the ninth as senior Ryan Connolly picked up his first hit of the game to score Anthony Venuti. Framingham went on to add another run when Manny Powers grounded out to shortstop to score the second of the inning, but not before recording the second out.

After walking the next batter junior Tyler Smith went into record the last out of the inning as pinch-hitter RC Goodman grounded out to Smith to end the game with the final score 8-3.

Fitchburg State picked up 10 hits as a team with Ortiz and Currie picking up two hits apiece. Six other members of the starting lineup added a hit in the victory.

Framingham State freshman Anthony Venuti fueled the Rams offense with a 3-for-5 performance and a pair of doubles while driving in one runner.

Third-seeded Fitchburg State (18-18) will move on to the next round of the MASCAC tournament, traveling to Mass Maritime on Friday May 6^th to take on the second-seeded Buccaneers with first pitch slated for 3:00 p.m.