Falcons Pick Up Split With Bears In Conference Twin Bill

Green and Gold set program record for team stolen bases in a season

Bridgewater, Mass. – The Fitchburg State University Baseball team registered a split with the Bears of Bridgewater State in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) action from Alumni Park this afternoon as the Falcons dropped the opener 2-1 before picking up a 2-0 triumph in the night cap.

The Basics

Score: Fitchburg State 1, Bridgewater State 2 (GM1)
Score: Fitchburg State 2, Bridgewater State 0 (GM2)

Records: Fitchburg State (14-14, 5-8 MASCAC) I Bridgewater State (24-8, 10-3 MASCAC)

How It Happened

Game One

Bridgewater State grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth when senior Matthew Pigeon (Canton, Mass.) singled on bunt, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI single through the left side off the bat of sophomore Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) before junior Cam James (Ipswich, Mass.) laced an RBI double to left field, plating Emerson.

Fitchburg State responded in the top of the seventh as sophomore Jacob Hurrell (Haverhill, Mass.) tripled to left center and scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 2-1, but Bears hurler Matt Joselyn (Hanson, Mass.) worked out of the one out jam to preserve the 2-1, game one triumph for the hosts.

By The Numbers

• Hurrell led the way for the Falcons, going 3-for-3 with a triple and one run scored
• Sophomore Matthew Smith (Flanders, N.J.) hit 2-for-3 for the Green and Gold
• Freshman Adam Wholley (Londonderry, N.H.) took the loss for Fitchburg State, allowing two runs on six hits with one strikeout over six innings pitched
• For the Bears, Emerson hit 2-for-3 with a run scored and one RBI
• Josselyn picked up the win for Bridgewater State, giving up one run on six hits and seven K's in the complete game effort
• With the 84th stolen base on the season, the Fitchburg State baseball team set a new program record for stolen bases in a single season, surpassing the previous mark of 83, set in 2016

Game Two

Fitchburg State opened the scoring in the top of the second as sophomore Nolan Hills (Danvers, Mass.) singled through the left side, advanced to second on passed ball, moved to third on a fly out and crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by junior Matthew Kelly (E. Bridgewater, Mass.) for the 1-0 edge.

The Falcons doubled the lead (2-0) in the top of the fifth when senior Zachary Malek (Schenectady, N.Y..) doubled to left field, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a sacrifice fly from Hurrell.

Bridgewater State threatened in the bottom half of the seventh with Pigeon singling to right field, moving to second and third on a fielding miscue and walk from Emerson, but Falcon reliever Lowell Pare (Leominster, Mass.) induced a double play to work out of the jam unscathed, resulting in the 2-0, game two final.

By The Numbers

• Malek paced the Falcons, going 2-for-3 with a double and one run scored
• Smith finished 1-of-4 with a double for the Green and Gold
• Sophomore Joseph Hartnett (North Attleboro, Mass.) collected the win for Fitchburg State, giving up just two hist and striking out ten over five innings of work
• For the Bears, Aten hit 1-for-3 with a home run, one run scored and an RBI
• Graduate student David Kerns (East Cambridge, Mass.) took the loss for Bridgewater State, yielding two runs on six hits and six K's in the complete game effort
• 99th meeting between the Falcons and Bears on the baseball diamond with Fitchburg State 31-68 all-time when taking on  Bridgewater State

Up Next

Falcons return to action on Tuesday as they host the Lancers of Worcester State for a MASCAC double headers, starting 2:00PM.