Falcons Soar Past Carthage At RussMatt Invitational

Hartnett collects first collegiate victory for Green and Gold

Lake Myrtle, Fla. – The Fitchburg State baseball team defeated the Firebirds of Carthage College, 10-6 in day three action of the 2023 RussMatt Invitational at the Lake Myrtle Main Field this morning.

The Basics

Score: Fitchburg State 10, Carthage 6

Records: Fitchburg State (4-0, 0-0 MASCAC) I Carthage (2-2, 0-0 CCIW)

How It Happened

Fitchburg State opened the scoring in the top of the first as senior Vincent Eramo (Shirley, Mass.) drove in sophomore Cole DuHaime (Warminster, Penn.) with a double to left field for the 1-0 lead. The Falcons pushed across four runs in the following frame with sophomores Matthew Smith (Flanders, N.J.) and Cameron May (Milford, Penn.) scoring on a wild pitch and an error, while Eramo added a two run single to left center to make the score 5-0.

Carthage battled back to take a 6-5 edge in the bottom half of the fifth when freshman Drew Knecht (Kenosha, Wis.) and classmate Ethan Englfried (Wind Lake, Wis.) collected RBI singles. The Falcons forged ahead though in the top of the seventh with senior Zachary Malek (Schenectady, N.Y.) delivering a sacrifice fly to center before newcomer Adam Koza (Windham, N.H.) laced a two-run double to right center and sophomore Devin Lorae (Canton, Ga.) notched an RBI single for the 9-6 lead.

The Green and Gold secured the victory in the top of the ninth when Eramo walked, pinch runner Derek Milliken (South Easton, Mass.) advanced second on miscue, stole third and crossed the plate on a failed pick off attempt, resulting in the 10-6 final.

By The Numbers

• Eramo paced the Falcons, going 4-for-4 with a double, triple, three RBI and one run scored
• Sophomore Joseph Hartnett (North Attleboro, Mass.) picked up his first collegiate win for Fitchburg State, giving up just two hits with three K's in four innings of relief
• For the Firebirds, sophomore Collin Callahan (Lake Zurich, Ill.) hit 2-for-4 with an RBI
• Sophomore Jake Pappagallo (Austintown, Ohio) yielded three hits with two strikeouts over 4.2 innings of work in a no decision for Carthage
• First ever meeting between the Falcons and Nittany Lions on the baseball diamond

Up Next

Falcons return to action tomorrow as they take on the Corsairs of UMass Dartmouth in day four action of the 2023 RussMatt Invitational, starting at 2:00PM.