Lancers Baseball Claims the Sweep over Westfield to Remain Undefeated in Conference Action

Worcester, MA- After opening up the conference schedule versus Westfield on Friday with a 2-1 win, the Worcester State Baseball team (3-8, 1-0) jumped right back into action in a pushed back double header with the Owls to close out the first conference series of the season.

Final

Worcester State: 7

Westfield State: 6

How it Happened:

The Blue and Gold would open the game with the first three batters getting on base as junior Kevin Doyle (Bridgewater, MA) and sophomore Riggs Catlin (Dedham, MA) got on with singles and senior Nathan Thurber (Framingham, MA) walked to loaded the bases, setting up a golden scoring opportunity for Worcester State. The Lancers would take advantage with junior Alan Carpenter (Richmond, RI) getting on base with a walk followed by junior Tyler Normandie (Lowell, MA) hitting a single into center field bringing in Catlin and Thurber to give the Lancers a 3-0 lead early into the contest. The scoring would continue in the first as the bases would again be loaded, and this time junior Ryan Jewett (Natick, MA) would hit a single into left field to bring in Carpenter and Normandie to extend the lead 5-0. Westfield State would score in the first with a single and great base running but Worcester would not allow any other damage, putting the score at 5-1 through the first.

The top of the third would see the Lancers get two runners on base with two more walks as Normandie and junior Tad Giardina (Reading, MA) would land at a bag, but an infield fly rule and strikeout would hold any extra momentum, keeping the score 5-1. The bottom of the inning would see Westfield create a momentum shift,  getting an early walk and then three base hits to score two runs and cut the Lancer lead to two. Sophomore Jack Hildred (Bellingham, MA) who got the start for the Blue and Gold would regroup and punch out two batters and force a ground out to ease the momentum and keep the score 5-3 going into the fourth.

The top of the fourth would see the momentum swing back onto the Blue and Gold as Doyle would snag his second hit of the game and Thurber snagged an RBI single to extend the Lancer lead 6-3. Hildred would have a much nicer outing in the 4th forcing two ground outs and snagging another strikeout to keep the momentum on the Blue and Gold's side.

In the top of the fifth, Normandie would hit a homer to left field and extend the lead 7-3 for the Lancers. They would have a big chance to explode offensively with an error and two singles loading the bases, but the momentum would stall as the Lancers were unable to capitalize with a strikeout and flyout keeping the score 7-3. The bottom of the fifth would find junior Evan Samsel (Taunton, MA) relieve Hildred and go 2⁄3 's inning giving up a sacrifice fly with junior Tedy Cove (Worcester, MA) coming in and closing out the fifth and keeping the Lancers in the lead 7-4. 

The bottom half of the sixth would see the Owls get some momentum with two singles and an error committed by the Lancers to cut the lead to two. The staff would call in sophomore Matt Direnzo (Leicester, MA) to relieve Cove and it would be one more run scored by Westfield but Direnzo would get out of the inning intact to keep the Lancer lead 7-6 going into the final inning. 

The final inning would see the Lancers start with back to back singles but couldn't capitalize off the hits but Direnzo would help out the offense and force two ground outs and punch out the final batter clinching his second save in three days winning game one 7-6. 

On the offensive side Doyle would have a nice game, going 3/5 with Normandie going 2/3 with a solo home run and three RBI'S and Jewett going 2/4 and two RBI'S. On the mound Direnzo would have a nice relief appearance going two innings and walking a batter and striking out three.

Final

Worcester State: 9

Westfield State: 4

How it Happened:

Like the first game, the top of the first would see the Lancers jump out to an early lead with Thurber hitting a single bringing in Catlin to go up 1-0 to begin the contest. 

After a quiet second from both squads Worcester would again find success in the third as the Lancers offense went on a huge run scoring seven runs. Carpenter would get things rolling, hitting a sacrifice fly sending across Senior Mason Bates (Shrewsbury, MA), Catlin stealing home on a passed ball and three straight singles by junior Cameron Early (Worcester, MA), first year Boris Valdez (Worcester, MA) and Jewett, then to cap it off, Bates would hit a bases clearing double sending in Valdez and Jewett to lead 8-0. Westfield would score a run in the bottom of the inning but senior Nolan Turner (Barnstable, MA) would hold his ground the rest of the inning going into the 4th up 8-1.

Top of the fourth would see the Laners score again as Thurber would get a single and then two errors by Westfield would drive home Thurber in to extend the Lancer lead 9-1. 

Bottom of the six would see Westfield State snag a bases clearing single driving in two runs to cut the Lancer lead 9-3, and in the 7th score one more run with a single but no more damage would be down by the Owls and the Lancers would win game two 9-4 and sweep the Owls in the doubleheader action.

The offensive side in game 2 would see Carpenter go ⅔ with an RBI and Thurber go 2/2 with an RBI and on the pitching front with Turner giving up 6 hits with two earned runs and striking out five in the contest.

What's Next:

The Blue and Gold (5-8, 3-0) remain on the conference train on Tuesday as they host Framingham State at Kevin D. Lyons Diamond on Tuesday for a two game set starting at 2pm.