Smith Flirts With Perfect Game As Lancers Split with Bucs

Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Lancers (9-25, 8-11 MASCAC) traveled to Buzzards Bay Saturday afternoon for the final regular season games against the Mass. Maritime Buccaneers (16-19, 9-10). The Lancers took game one yesterday in Worcester by a score of 12-5 on Senior Day.

FINAL

GAME 1:

LANCERS- 1

MASS. MARITIME- 0

GAME 2:

LANCERS- 0

MASS. MARITIME- 11

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Game one of the seven-inning doubleheader proved to be a pitching battle with only one runner crossing home with these two teams dueling for the final spots in the conference tournament. Senior left-hander Ben Smith (Bourne, MA) returned to his hometown area, taking the bump in game one. Smith entered the final day of regular season play with a record of (2-4), 3.56 ERA, a team-leading 54 strikeouts, third-best in the conference. The lefty boasts the best K/9 rate (11.30) in the MASCAC. Opposite of Smith was first-year right-hander Sam Wooley (Boynton Beach, FL). Wooley entered today with a record of (0-0) and an 8.22 ERA in six appearances for the Bucs this season.

Smith was lights out in Buzzards Bay as the senior took a perfect game into the bottom of the seventh that eventually would be broken up with an infield single with one out. Smith struck out nine batters allowing just two hits before securing the win for Worcester. After the perfect game bid came to an end, Mass. Maritimes Damon White followed with a second infield single to third base, placing runners on first and second with one out. Smith forced a grounder to shortstop first year Ryan Jewett (Natick, MA) who gathered the ball and flipped to second to first year Jeremy DeLacruz (Lowell, MA) who fired to first to complete the double play to end the game. 

The lone run of this matchup came in the top of the sixth as Mass. Maritime went to the bullpen to retrieve junior right-hander Brenden Baiardi to replace Wooley. Senior first baseman Frankie Hernandez (Framingham, MA) led off the inning with a walk. In a wild play, sophomore left fielder Nathan Thurber (Framingham, MA) laid down a bunt that made its way back to Baiardi, the pitcher firing to second attempting to force Hernandez out at second, but on the throw the ball deflected off the shortstop's glove, trickling into centerfield advancing both Hernandez and Thurber into scoring position with zero outs. Senior third baseman Tom Halliwell (Leominster, MA) stepped into the box grounding out to the shortstop who wasn't able to handle the ball initially, eventually gathering and firing to first. Hernandez stayed planted on third before Thurber was caught in a rundown between second and third. They tagged Thurber out, but Hernandez eventually left for home and scored beating the throw to give Worcester the 1-0 lead. The Lancers racked up five total hits in game one, one of those coming from the bat of senior catcher Colin Fitzgerald (Auburn, MA) for a double down the leftfield line.

GAME TWO:

Head coach Phil Price trotted out junior lefty Jarrett Morrill (Chelmsford, MA) in game two. In seven appearances and four starts, Morrill accumulated a record of (1-3) to go along with his 9.14 ERA. Mass. Maritime elected sophomore right-hander Chase Dwight, the West Newbury native holds a (3-2) record with a 5.50 ERA in eight appearances. 

The Lancers made some noise in the top of the first when Jewett grounded up the middle for a single. Junior right fielder Tyler Smith (Leominster, MA) forced a walk putting two runners on base when Hernandez grounded to first, advancing Jewett and Smith into scoring position. Dwight made his way out of the jam, striking out a batter to end the inning.

Mass. Maritime scored their first run of the day in the bottom of the second as third baseman Michael Estrada led the inning off with a triple to right field. Morrill hit the next batter placing runners on first and second. With one out, left-fielder Jake Houston put down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Estrada. Morrill unfazed struck out the next batter to end the offensive attack by the Buccaneers.

During the bottom of the third, Mass. Maritime exploded for five runs bringing the score to 6-0. Morrill got a hitter to ground out, followed by striking out the next batter who was able to make it to first on the drop from the catcher Fitzgerald. Damon White reached base on a fielder's choice when Jewett fielded the ball and during the throw to second, DeLacruz wasn't able to handle the throw, planting runners on first and second with one out. AJ Pietrafes singled to left to score a run leaving the Bucs with runners on first and second. Estrada, fresh off of a triple, earned a second extra-base hit when he raked a ground-rule double to score one as the Lancers caught a break with the rule not allowing a second runner to score. Hunter Dean was hit by a pitch, his second time this game, loading the bases when right-fielder Costa Beechin launched a single scoring two runners. Now with two outs in the inning, Tucker Leslie chopped a ball in front of the catcher Fitzgerald, as he tried to pick the ball up with his glove, it fell out to Morrill allowing a run to score and everyone to be safe. Morrill ended the inning getting a batter to ground out for the final out of the inning.

Senior right-hander Joseph Morgan (Shrewsbury, MA) replaced Morrill in the bottom of the fifth as the reliever had a clean first inning of work. Morgan enters with five appearances along with a record of (0-2), and ERA of 16.20. The transfer from Stonehill found himself in trouble in the bottom of the fifth as the Bucs tagged him for four runs. Sophomore right-hander Jack Pawlich (Rocky Hill, CT) eventually took over with a 0-0 record and 5.40 ERA within four appearances on the season. Pawlich allowed one unearned before closing out the inning.

Worcester went out quietly in the top of the seventh to end the game dropping the series to the Buccanneers. The Lancers final record finishes at (10-26, 9-12) as Mass. Maritime ends their regular season (17-20, 10-11).

WHAT'S NEXT?:

The Lancers advance to the playoffs where they will hit the road on Thursday, May 9 as they wait for today's games to go final to see who their opponent will be.