Falcons And Rams Split MASCAC Twin Bill

Worcester, Mass. – The Fitchburg State University baseball team split a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) double header with Framingjham State University at Rocheleau Field this afternoon as the Falcons earned a 4-3, eight inning game one triumph before dropping the night cap, 12-3.

The Basics

Score: Fitchburg State 4, Framingham State 3 (8 Inn) (Game One)

Score: Fitchburg State 3, Framingham State 12 (Game Two)

Records: Fitchburg State (21-12, 11-6 MASCAC) I Framingham State (18-15, 10-7 MASCAC)

How It Happened

Game One

Framingham State broke a 0-0 deadlock in the top of the third as senior Aaron Williams (Brockton, Mass.) singled through the right side and eventually came around to score off a fielding miscue for the 1-0 edge.

The Rams doubled their margin (2-0) in the top of the fourth when senior Kyle Lippert (Carlsbad, Calif.) singled up the middle to plate newcomer Gino DeSimone (Medford, Mass.) before upping their lead to 3-0 in the following stanza with senior Matt Fogarty (Millis, Mass.) lacing a double down the right field line to bring in classmate Kyle Dembrowski (Natick, Mass.).

Fitchburg State knotted the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth as junior Matthew Pingitore (Rutland, Mass.) doubled in classmate Brennan Cuddahy (Leominster, Mass.), while fellow junior Brandon Lefebvre (Leominster, Mass.) collected a two-run single that plated Pingitore and junior Alexander Bissanti (Franklin, Mass.).

The game remained tied at 3-3 until the bottom of the eighth when freshman Vincent Eramo (Shirley, Mass.) grounded out to third allowing sophomore Nicholas Cordeau (Melrose, Mass.) to come in to score the winning run for the Green and Gold, resulting in the 4-3 final.

Game Two

Framingham State jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the top of the second when Lippert drew a bases loaded walk, while senior Joe Ambrosino (Bradenton, Fla.) added an RBI groundout. The Rams extended their lead (5-0) in the third as junior Corey Caraher (Plymouth, Mass.) ripped a two-run single to left field to bring in Fogarty and senior Dembrowski.

The visitors upped their lead in the top of the fourth when junior Bobby Higgins (Barnstable, Mass.) launched a two run shot over the right field fence to make the score 7-0. Fitchburg State cut the deficit to 7-2 in the bottom of the fourth as junior Joshua Macomber (Berkley, Mass.) singled to left to plate Cordeau, while Cuddahy followed with a sacrifice fly to right.

The Rams secured the split when Williams singled to right to score Caraher before Ambrosino singled in DeSimone, resulting in the 12-3 final.

By The Numbers

• 82nd meeting between the two teams with the Falcons 38-44 vs the Rams
• Lefebvre paced the Falcons, going 1-for-3 with two RBI
• Fogarty finished 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI for the Rams
• Shaun Gamelin (West Kingston, R.I.) earned the win for Fitchburg State, allowing just one walk with two K's in 1.1 innings of relief
• Kyle Hodgson (Berkley, Mass.) took a no decision for Framingham State, giving up three runs on four hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings of work
• Macomber hit 1-for-2 with a pair of RBI for Fitchburg State
• Higgins collected two hits, including a home run, one run scored and two RBI for Framingham State
• Evan Meleedy (Lakeville, Mass.) gave up four runs on four hits with four K's in 2.2 innings pitched for the Falcons
• Kevin Connelly (Bolton, Mass.) earned the win for the Rams, yielding two runs on two hits to go along with eight strikeouts over four innings of work

Up Next

Falcons will travel to Framingham State on Saturday to take on the Rams for a MASCAC tilt, starting at 3:00 PM. Rams will host Fitchburg State on Saturday for a conference matchup at 3:00 PM.