Baseball Sweeps Fitchburg State in MASCAC Twinbill

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team swept a MASCAC doubleheader with Fitchburg State University on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Park. Bridgewater won the first game, 3-1, and completed the sweep with a 4-0 victory in the nightcap.

The Bears improve to 12-11 on the season and even their MASCAC record at 3-3.  The visiting Falcons fall to 11-13 overall and 1-5 in conference play.

In game one, Dave Billotte (Norton, Mass.) went the distance on the mound for the Bears giving up one unearned run on seven hits and four walks while striking out six. Billotte (1-2) stranded nine Falcon runners on base.

The Bears plated a run in the bottom of the first as Joshua Ferreira (Fall River, Mass.) led off with a double, moved to second on a groundout and scored on Ian Williams' (Taunton, Mass.) RBI grounder.  Bridgewater took a 2-0 lead in the third as David Pierce (East Bridgewater, Mass.) double to the gap in right-center with one out and came around to score as Williams lined a two-out single up the middle.

Fitchburg threatened in the top of the fourth as the Falcons loaded the bases with one out on a walk and a pair of infield singles.  Billotte, however, induced an inning-ending double play groundout to end the threat.

Bridgewater added an insurance marker in the fifth when Williams notched his third RBI of the game.  John Garabedian (Mansfield, Mass.) led off the frame with a single and moved to second on Ferreira's base hit. After an ground out advanced the runners to second and third, Matt Greenberg (Norwell, Mass.) walked to load the bases. Williams then followed with a sacrifice fly to right to drive in Garabedian from third.

Ferreira finished 2-for-3 at the plate while Williams went 1-for-2 and drove in three.

Michael Mercier (Townsend, Mass.) suffered the loss on the mound for the Falcons despite pitching well.  Mercier (2-3) allowed three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three in the complete game effort. Jeff Boice (Glastonbury, Conn.) was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate and scored Fitchburg's only run of the day.

Corey Batista (Fall River, Mass.) was nothing less than impressive on the mound for the Bears in game two as he tossed a complete game, two-hit shutout.  Batista (3-2) walked just one and struck out a career-high 11 batters.

Bridgewater broke a scoreless tie in the fourth as Williams led off the frame with a walk, moved to second on a ground out and scored on Keane Costa's (Fairhaven, Mass.) RBI single to left.  The Bears tacked on a run in the fifth on a Williams' sacrifice fly and plated two more in the sixth on a two-run triple by Ferreira.

Costa reached safely in all three plate appearances in game two as he went 2-for-2 with a walk.

Alex Teal (Malden, Mass.) went the distance in the loss for Fitchburg.  Teal (2-3) gave up four runs on seven hits and four walks over six innings while also striking out three.

Bridgewater will travel to MCLA on Patriot's Day for a pair of MASCAC games with the Trailblazers starting at 1:00 PM.