Baseball Sweeps MCLA, Earns Share of MASCAC Regular-Season Crown

2015 MASCAC Baseball Tournament Bracket

North Adams, MA --- Behind a pair of solid pitching performances by senior Joe Perlak (Chicopee, MA) and sophomore Zach Zona (Auburn, MA/St. Peter-Marian), Worcester State defeated MCLA, 10-0 and 6-2, this afternoon in MASCAC baseball action at Zavattaro Field this afternoon.

With the victory, the Lancers improve to 20-14 and 10-4 in MASCAC play to claim a share of their eighth regular season conference title along with Mass Maritime and Salem State. The Trailblazers slip to 10-15 and 3-11 against league opponents.

Worcester State will await word of who they will face in next week's conference tournament while MCLA has been eliminated from playoff contention.

It was a scoreless game through four frames until the Blue and Gold took advantage of miscues to build up a 6-0 lead in the top of the fifth.

After senior Nick Gikas (Danvers, MA) started the rally with an RBI bunt single, classmate Zach George (Attleboro, MA) produced another run after the first baseman misplayed another sacrifice as the bases were juiced.

On the very next play, three runs came home and sophomore Jake Ryan (Whitinsville, MA) reached third base in his plate appearance after the pitcher threw the ball away trying to field a bunt play at first. Sophomore Adam Barry (Auburn, MA/St. Peter-Marian) capped off the inning with a run-scoring ground out.

The Lancers put the game away with four tallies in the sixth for the 10-0 advantage. George belted his team-best 11th double of the campaign before Ryan rapped out a two-run single to centerfield.

Perlak (5-1) pumped out two scoreless frames in the bottom of the sixth and seventh to finish the gem and his third complete game. He finished tossing a three-hitter with five strikeouts and one walk. 

Freshman Ryan Grande (Pittsfield, MA) permitted nine runs (one earned) on six hits over his 5 2/3 frames of work. Grande (1-4) registered three free passes and a pair of punch outs in the defeat.

Sophomore Mike Powers (Weymouth, MA) went 3-for-4 and George notched two base-knocks while both helped pace a 10-hit attack. George, Powers, Gikas and sophomore Dan McGuill (E. Longmeadow, MA) all touched home plate twice.

Zona (3-3) was dominant in the nightcap. He fanned seven over his even frames of work as he allowed two earned runs and he walked one.

Gikas ignited another uprising, this time in the top of the second as he plated the first run on an infield single. Senior Jeff Bolio (Oxford, MA) then made the score 2-0 when he advanced 90 feet from third after Gikas was caught in a run down.

The Lancers added some insurance, pushing across four more times in the top of the fifth for the 6-0 margin with two men down in the frame.

The frame was highlighted by a RBI double by sophomore Brian Bonacquisti (Pittsfield, MA), an RBI single by George and a Barry two-run single to centerfield. 

MCLA broke up the shutout bid in the bottom of the seventh when the hosts strung together three straight base-knocks which culminated in a two-run single by freshman Liam Nolan (Pittsfield, MA).

After senior Mike Monvivalano (Pittsfield, MA) singled to the pitcher to put runners on the corners, Zona ended the game by spinning a double play ball.

Sophomore Todd Hunt (Cambridge, NY) absorbed the loss MCLA. Hunt yielded six runs (five earned) on eight hits to go with three strikeouts.

Worcester State outhit their opponents, 8-5, in the second game and Grande was the lone multi-hitter for either side with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate for the Trailblazers.

The Lancers will host UMass Boston tomorrow at 1 PM while MCLA heads to Mass Maritime for a non-conference battle at 2 o'clock.