Falcons, Owls Split MASCAC Doubleheader

Fitchburg, Mass. – The Fitchburg State baseball team split a doubleheader (11-7, 8-21) with the Owls of Westfield State in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action on Sunday afternoon at Riccards Field.

The Basics

Game 1 Score: Fitchburg State 11, Westfield State 7
Game 2 Score: Fitchburg State 8, Westfield State 21
Records: Fitchburg State (9-7, 1-2 MASCAC) | Westfield State (6-9, 2-1 MASCAC)

How It Happened – Game 1

Westfield State raced out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With the bases full of Owls and two outs junior Devin Slattery (Ware, Mass.) belted a bases-clearing double down the right field line. Slattery came around to score on a single up the middle from junior Trey Faulkner (Springfield, Mass.).

The Falcons chipped away, scoring a run in the bottom of the second with a double steal and plated 4 runs in the fifth to take a 5-4 lead. The Green and Gold capitalized on a pair of Westfield miscues for a pair of runs and freshman Adam Koza (Windham, NH) crushed a 2-run home run to give the hosts the lead.

Westfield answered right back in the top of the sixth. Slattery had another big hit with a double to center field to give the Owls the 7-5 advantage.

Fitchburg State countered with a huge bottom of the frame. Back-to-back 2-RBI doubles from graduate student Vincent Eramo (Clinton, Mass.) and Koza erased the deficit (10-7). Sophomore Jacob Hurrell (Haverhill, Mass.) added an RBI single scoring an insurance run for the Falcons.

Lowell Pare (Leominster, Mass.) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning for the Falcons to secure the victory.

Inside the Numbers – Game 1

• Sophomore Joseph Harnett (North Attleboro, Mass.) pitched three innings in relief allowing three earned runs on three hits with six strikeouts.
• Junior Joe Fischer (Avon, Mass.) suffered the setback for Westfield allowing four runs on four hits with one walk and one strikeout
• Koza was 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored for the Falcons

How It Happened – Game 2

Westfield knocked in a pair of runs in the first inning, Ethan Day (Meriden, Conn.) delivered the big hit with a triple to left center. The Owls upped their advantage to 9-0 with six runs in the second inning. The visitors drew three straight bases-loaded walks to extend the inning.

Junior Matthew Kelly (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) opened the second with a single to left field and moved to third on a double from Jacob Hurrell. Senior Zachary Malek (Schenectady, NY) scored Kelly with a ground out and Hurrell scored on a wild pitch to get the Falcons on the board.

Trailing 19-3, the Falcons added RBI runs from Maxwell Riordan (Pepperell, Mass.) and Hurrell. Sophomore Nolan Hills (Danvers, Mass.) added an RBI in the seventh resulting in the 21-8 final.

Inside the Numbers – Game 2

• Hurrell was 2-for-3 for the Falcons with a double and an RBI
• Trey Faulkner was 4-for-5 for the Owls with four RBIs.
• Freshman Adam Wholley (Londonderry, NH) took the loss, allowing 8 runs on four hits in 1.1 innings
• Luke Mathewson (Eastford, Conn.) won his second of the season allowing three runs over four innings for the Qwls

Up Next

Falcons will host Clark University on Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 PM.