Baseball’s 8-Run Eighth Inning Lifts Lancers Past Albertus Magnus

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Worcester State University baseball team scored eight runs in the eighth inning to best the Falcons of Albertus Magnus by a score of 14-9 in a non-conference game Wednesday afternoon.

THE BASICS

April 11, 2018

Rochford Field

Score: Worcester State 14, Albertus Magnus 9

Records: Worcester State (7-16) | Albertus Magnus (4-14)

PLAY-BY-PLAY

The Falcons took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on RBI from Tom Crocco (Kings Park, N.Y.) and Christian Bradley (Stratford, Conn.).

Worcester State added two runs to make it a 1-run game in the top of the third inning on a sacrifice fly from Kevin Larkin (Rocky Hill, Conn.) and a passed ball. However, Albertus Magnus tacked on an unearned run in the flip side of the inning to set the score at 4-2, still in the Falcons favor.

The Falcons increased their lead in the fifth inning when they scored five runs on hits from Mike Browne (New Fairfield, Conn.), Brandon Clark (Cheshire, Conn.) and Crocco. .

Worcester State and Albertus Magnus battled back-and-forth in the sixth and seventh innings, but Worcester State took the lead for good in the top of the eighth when the Lancers plated eight runs on four hits.

Larkin started the eighth inning with a double and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Shortly after, the bases were loaded on walks and hit by pitch. The runs then started pouring in on RBI singles from Patrick Grow (Worcester, Mass.) and Ben Palatino (Hudson, Mass.), and back-to-back RBI triples from Jake Breton (Wilbraham, Mass.) and Mike Ferrara (Easton, Mass.).

The Lancers' closing pitcher, Bradleigh Saltsman (Ayer, Mass.), earned the save as he pitched two hitless innings in the eighth and ninth to seal the 14-9 win.

SCOREBOOK

• The Lancers scored the 14 runs on 14 hits and no Falcon errors.
• Ferrara led the Lancers offense, going 3-for-5 with a triple, three RBI and one run scored.
• Kenan Kolanda (Sterling, Mass.) reached base four times on two hits and two walks. He also crossed the dish twice for two runs.
• William Roberge (Warwick, R.I.) reached base three times on walks.
• Albertus Magnus' Crocco batted 2-for-3 and registered a game-high four RBI.
• The Falcons' Clark also batted 2-for-3 and stole two bases.
• Worcester State's Kyle Gray (Braintree, Mass.) earned his first collegiate win in one inning pitched. Saltsman earned the save on the mound in a 2-inning, no hitter closing performance.
• The Falcons used a plethora of eight pitchers throughout the game.

UP NEXT

Worcester State hits the road again tomorrow, for a 3:30 p.m. game at MIT.

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