Baseball Bested by Fitchburg State

WORCESTER, Mass. - The Worcester State University baseball team dropped a pair of Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference contests to Fitchburg State University on Saturday afternoon at Lyons Diamond. The Falcons took game one 10-2 before winning 2-1 in dramatic fashion in game two.

With the losses, Worcester State falls to 8-9 overall on the season and 2-4 in MASCAC play. The Falcons jump to 7-8 overall and 5-3 in the MASCAC.

Because of Friday's postponed league games, Fitchburg State was the designated home team in both games, and batted second.

Game 1 - Fitchburg State 10, Worcester State 2

Fitchburg State put up six runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back in the opener of the doubleheader, cruising to a 10-2 victory.

Johan Asencio capped the big first inning for the Falcons with a three-run home run off the left field foul pole to put Fitchburg ahead 6-0. 

Worcester State got one run back in the top of the second on a Thomas DiBattista (Hudson, Mass.) RBI single, but the Falcons had a quick answer in the bottom of the inning. Richard Sharp connected on a two-run shot to right center field to extend the Falcon lead to 8-1, which would prove to be more than enough offense to earn the victory. 

DiBattista recorded his second RBI single of the contest in the top of the sixth, but for the second time, Fitchburg State responded in the bottom of the frame with a home run, this time a solo shot off the bat of senior Zachary May. The dinger gave the contest its final score of 10-2.

Starter Kyle Gray (Braintree, Mass.) took the loss for Worcester State, allowing six earned on just two hits in just one-third of an inning. Aidan Ward was credited with the win for Fitchburg State, allowing no earned runs on two hits in four relief innings.

Game 2 - Fitchburg State 2, Worcester State 1

Asencio finished the afternoon, literally, the way he had started it, blasting a walk-off two-run home run over the center field fence in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Fitchburg State a stunning 2-1 victory in game two.

With one away and Matthew Pingitore on first base, Asencio connected on a 2-1 fastball from Lancer closer Kevin Zarnoch Jr. (Boston, Mass.), sending it over the outstretched glove of center fielder DiBattista for a walk-off shot. 

The home run was just the third Fitchburg State hit of the contest, as six Lancer pitchers combined to hold the Falcons to just two hits in the game's first two innings.

Worcester State scored its only run in the top of the sixth inning on a two-out double from sophomore Zach Landry (Mashpee, Mass.). Zack Roberts (Northbridge, Mass.) came across to score on the play as a result of an error from the Falcon left fielder. 

Austin Alzate was credited with the victory on the day, as he came on in relief in the top of the sixth and got the Falcons out of a bases loaded jam, limiting Worcester State to just the one run in the frame. He struck out two in 1.1 innings of work.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday for a doubleheader at Fitchburg State. First pitch of game one is slated for 12 p.m.

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