Falcons And Trailblazers Split Conference Twin Bill

Malek and Morehouse lead Green and Gold to conference split 

North Adams, Mass. - The Fitchburg State University baseball team split a conference double header with the Trailblazers of MCLA this afternoon in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action from the Zavattaro Field as MCLA collected a 7-5 triumph in the opener before the Falcons earned the split with a 21-6 victory in the night cap

The Basics

Score: Fitchburg State 5, MCLA 7 (Game One)
Score Fitchburg State 21, MCLA 6 (Game Two)
Records: Fitchburg State (9-28, 5-13 MASCAC) I MCLA (11-24 2-16 MASCAC

How It Happened

Game One

Fitchburg State grabbed a 3-0 margin in the top of the first as senior Vincent Eramo (Shirley, Mass.) connected on an RBI single to left field to bring in junior Connor Morehouse (Wetherby Lake, Mo.), while senior Brendan Ferrell (Plymouth, Mass.) and freshman Liam Goldstein (Charlestown, R.I.) added bases loaded walks.

MCLA answered in their half of the first with junior Tristen Ciarlo (Waterbury, Conn.) and senior Isaiah Mack (Uncasville, Conn.) scoring on wild pitches before sophomore Ty Mazzeo (Averill Park, N.Y.) brought in senior Randy Adams (Fullerton, Calif.) with an RBI ground out to knot the score at 3-3.

The Falcons responded in the top half of the second inning as graduate student Richard Sharp (Townsend, Mass.) laced an RBI single that scored Morehouse to make the score 4-3. The Trailblazers regained the lead for good in the bottom of the second when Ciarlo blasted a three-run home run to left field for the 6-4 margin.

Fitchburg State cut the deficit to 6-5 in the top of the third frame with Ferrell notching an RBI single to center field that plated junior Zachary Malek (Schenectady, N.Y.), but MCLA secured the victory in the bottom of the third when Adams ripped a run scoring single to left field to bring home newcomer Robinson Guerrero-Baez (Hyannis, Mass.), resulting in the 7-5, game one final.

By The Numbers

• Ferrell paced the  Falcons, hitting 1-of-3 with two RBI
• Senior Adam Kirsch (New London, Conn.) suffered the setback for Fitchburg State, allowing five runs on six hits with five K's over 5.2 innings of work
• For the Trailblazers, Ciarlo went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI
• Junior Rob Correia (Waterbury, Conn.) earned the win for MCLA, yielding two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in 6.1 innings of relief

Game Two

MCLA took an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first on RBI's from Adams, Mazzeo and newcomer Josh Bologh (Waterbury, Conn.). Fitchburg State answered in the top of the second as Malek, graduate student Jackson Vail (Grafton, Mass.) and Morehouse notched RBI base hits for the 5-4 margin.

The Falcons upped its advantage in the top of the third when junior Christopher Masta (Peabody, Mass.), Goldstein and Morehouse registered run scoring singles to make the score 8-4. The Green and Gold pushed the lead to 15-4 in the top half of the fifth with Sharp notching a two-run single, while Malek connected on a two-run shot to center field.

The visitors secured the victory in the sixth with Morehouse lacing an RBI double to center field before freshman Jacob Hurrell (Haverhill, Mass.) followed with a run scoring fielder's choice, resulting in the 21-6 final.

By The Numbers

• 86th meeting between the two squads on the diamond with the Falcons 35-49-1 against the Trailblazers
• Morehouse led the way for Fitchburg State, hitting 5-for-6 with a double, three runs scored and four RBI
• Ferrell collected the win for the Falcons, giving up four runs (2 earned) on five hits with five K's over five innings of work
• For MCLA, Guerrero-Baez finished 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored
• Sophomore Nate Morse (Holyoke, Mass.) took the loss for the Trailblazers, giving up seven runs (3 earned) on seven hits

Up Next

Falcons return to action on Friday as they travel to Framingham State to take on the Rams for a MASCAC matchup, starting at 3:30 PM.