Falcons Open 2023 Campaign with Pair of Wins

Falcons Open 2023 Campaign with Pair of Wins

Davenport, Fla.  – The Fitchburg State baseball team opened the 2023 season with a pair of wins (7-4, 6-2) over the Fighting Scots of Gordon College in first-day action at the Russ Matt Invitational in Davenport, Fla.

The Basics

Game 1 | Fitchburg St. 7, Gordon 4
Game 2 | Fitchburg St. 6, Gordon 2

Records: Fitchburg State (2-0), Gordon (0-2)

How It Happened – Game 1

Sophomore Nolan Hills (Danvers, Mass.) notched the first RBI of the season for the Falcons scoring senior Jaime Velez (Lowell, Mass.) who had led off the inning with a hit-by-pitch.

Trailing 3-1 in the fourth inning, the Green and Gold evened the score with a triple to center field off the bat of Jacob Hurrell (Haverhill, Mass), scoring Hills from second base. Hurrell would score on a sacrifice fly from Liam Goldstein (Charlestown, RI).

Knotted at 4-4 entering the bottom of the sixth, the Falcons scored three runs to lead 7-4. Goldstein delivered the big hit with a 2-run double down the right field line scoring both Velez and Derek Milliken (South Easton, Mass.).

Lowell Pare (Leominster, Mass.) pitched 2.0 complete innings in relief, with an earned run and 3 strikeouts, to earn the victory.

Inside the Numbers - Game 1

•             Orion Daily (Nantucket, Mass.): 5.0 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 8 Ks
•             Nolan Hills: RBI, Run
•             Liam Goldstein: 1-4, 2B, 3 RBI
•             Jacob Hurrell: 1-2, 3B, RBI

How It Happened – Game 2

The Falcons plated a run in the opening frame. Maxwell Kelly (East Bridgewater, Mass.) was hit-by-pitch to open the game and advanced to third on a single from Matthew Kelly (East Bridgewater, Mass.). Two batters later Max scored on a sacrifice fly from senior Zachary Malek (Schenectady, NY).

In the second inning, the Falcons extended the lead to 3-1 after capitalizing on a passed ball and an errant throw from the Fighting Scots. Matthew Kelly and Velez had RBIs in the fifth inning to push the score to 5-1.

Gordon's CJ Demers drew a bases-loaded walk for an RBI to cut the deficit to 5-2, however, the Falcons regained the four-run lead when Cole DuHaime (Warminster, PA) scored on an overthrow to third base.

Inside the Numbers - Game 2

• • Matthew Kelly: 2-4, RBI, 3 SB
  • Goldstein: 1-1, 2 BB, 5 SB
  • Goldstein tied a school record with five stolen bases. He tied the record currently held by John Phelan (5 SB, vs Rivier 4/12/11) and Dustin Fredieu (5 SB, vs WPI 3/31/05)
  • Sy Sullivan (Tigard, Oren): 4.1 IP, W (1-0), 1 ER, 9 Ks, 3 BB
  • Joseph DiCrosta (Wallingford, CT): 1.2 IP, 1 Hit, 1 K

Up Next

The Falcons will return to action tomorrow to face Penn St. Brandywine at 1:15 PM at NERP #2.