Lancers Split Saturday Classic with AMCATs

Worcester, MA- After a late surge fell short yesterday versus the AMCATs, the Lancers Baseball team (13-15, 11-6) was back in action on Saturday as they looked to come away claiming the series.

Game 1 Final

Worcester State: 4

Anna Maria: 3

How it Happened:

Anna Maria quickly got three outs during the first inning because their three batters faced two strikeouts and one groundout. Worcester State also struggled to score during the second inning because junior Kevin Doyle (Bridgewater, MA) managed to connect for a single, but the team failed to bring him home, which resulted in a scoreless inning.

Worcester State achieved its first scoring opportunity during the second inning. Junior Alan Carpenter (Richmond, RI) started the inning with a single, and Senior Mason Bates (Shrewsbury, MA) followed his sacrifice bunt to move him forward. Still, Carpenter got out at home plate when Bates hit a single. Junior Cameron Early (Worcester, MA) then came through with an RBI single to bring Bates in for the first run of the game. Worcester State maintained a 1–0 advantage through two innings.

Worcester State increased its advantage during its third inning through a powerful batting performance. The inning began with junior Derek De La Cruz (Providence, R.I.) and junior Tyler Normandie (Lowell, MA) hitting consecutive singles, but the defense turned a double play, which eliminated De La Cruz from the base paths. Senior Nathan Thurber (Framingham, MA) then delivered a big RBI triple to bring Normandie home, making it 2–0. Worcester State continued its offensive push by walking two batters to load the bases, but they failed to score and left three runners on base.

The first half of the fourth inning saw Anna Maria answer back. Mason Kolczewski began the inning with a double, which advanced to third base after a groundout, and he scored after the Worcester pitcher threw a wild pitch to reduce the score to 2-1. The team succeeded with their first scoring attempt.

The top of the sixth inning brought difficulties for Worcester State when Anna Maria scored to tie the game. A runner advanced to scoring position after a walk and a stolen base, which led to an RBI single that scored him and tied the game at 2.

Worcester State responded in the bottom half through aggressive defensive play combined with smart base running. Bates worked a walk to get things started, and although he was forced out on a fielder's choice, Early made the most of his opportunity. Early advanced on a passed ball, stole third, and then used a wild pitch to score the go-ahead run without recording a hit. The inning included a walk drawn by Derek De La Cruz, which allowed him to maintain pressure against the defensive players. Worcester State scored a run through their offense, which allowed them to take a 3–2 lead before the game went to its final inning.

The seventh inning brought a lead loss for Worcester State. Anna Maria started their offensive attack with a leadoff double, and a hit-by-pitch followed by a bunt play resulted in an important error that enabled the tying run to score. The Worcester State pitchers faced initial challenges, but they managed to limit further runs by ending the inning with two runners on base, which maintained a 3–3 tie.

Worcester State entered the bottom half with an opportunity to win the game. Doyle started the inning with a single, but a double play quickly erased that opportunity. Carpenter maintained hope for the team with his base hit, but the Lancers ended their inning when a strikeout occurred. Worcester State enters extra innings after seven innings with a 3–3 tie. 

Worcester State came up big during extra innings when they used their main chance to gain the game advantage. The Lancers' pitching executed their duties during the 8th inning when they managed to control the challenging situation. Worcester State maintained their composure after Anna Maria reached scoring position with a leadoff walk and stolen base because they achieved a strikeout followed by two flyouts, which prevented the runner from reaching home plate.

The Lancers maintained their success throughout the entire game. Senior Mason Bates (Shrewsbury, MA) began the offensive play with his single hit and fast baserunning, which allowed him to reach second base because of a defensive mistake. Early then delivered in the clutch, lining an RBI single to left to bring Bates home. The unearned run resulted from Worcester State's successful pressure while executing their plays.

The Lancers took a 4-3 lead during the 8th inning, which brought the Lancers the win in the first game of the doubleheader. 

Game 2 Final

Worcester State: 1

Anna Maria: 7

How it Happened:

Worcester State showed some offensive potential at the beginning of the game. However, they could not keep up their scoring momentum after Anna Maria achieved their major run production during the middle innings. 

The largest scoring chance that went to waste happened during the fourth inning. Kevin Doyle opened the inning by hitting a single, which advanced him to scoring range. However, he lost control of his aggressive baserunning when he tried to advance to third base. Worcester State still managed to get runners on base through sophomore Riggs Catlin's (Dedham, MA) hit and an error, which allowed Alan Carpenter to reach base. However, a strikeout ended the threat and kept them off the board.

Late in the fifth inning, the Lancers made it onto the board with a De La Cruz home run. 

Worcester State faced its most difficult challenge during the seventh inning when Anna Maria scored multiple runs to take control of the game. Worcester State displayed determination during the final inning when the team created the most scoring opportunities of the game. Junior Ryan Jewett (Natick, MA) opened the inning with a double, and Derek De La Cruz followed with a single, which put runners on first and third. The Lancers received an excellent chance to return to the game when Kevin Doyle hit another single to load the bases with one out.

Worcester State failed to obtain a crucial hit at the necessary time. The rally ended when the team recorded two consecutive strikeouts and a lineout, which resulted in three runners being left on base while Anna Maria kept possession of the game.

Worcester State faced a 1-7 deficit to end the second game of today's doubleheader. 

What's Next:

Worcester State (14-16, 12-7) remains in conference action on Tuesday when they host Bridgewater State for two crucial games starting at 2 pm.