Baseball Splits Twinbill with RIC

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Bridgewater State College and host Rhode Island College split a baseball doubleheader on Monday afternoon at Anchorman Field in Providence, Rhode Island.

Bridgewater State (10-7) won the first game of the twinbill, 11-5, while RIC (11-5) rebounded to take game two, 14-3.

Anchormen freshman left fielder Ronnie Bracchi (Wappinger Falls, NY) went 5-for-7 in the doubleheader with four runs scored, four RBI, a double and smashed his first three collegiate homers.

In the first contest, despite trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the second, RIC put a two-spot on the scoreboard with Bracchi’s first collegiate long ball, a two-run shot to left center field. The hosts tacked on another run as junior designated hitter Gary Levesque (East Providence, RI) belted his sixth homer of the season.

The Bears sealed the win by putting three across in the fifth and seven more in the sixth. Freshman catcher Keane Costa (Fairhaven, MA) recorded an RBI single, senior third baseman Mark Claffey (Bellingham, MA) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and classmate designated hitter Matt Greenberg (Norwell, MA) brought in another with an RBI ground out as part of the three-run fifth.

Costa contributed another RBI single and Claffey’s three-run double with the sacks loaded helped do in RIC in the seventh.

Bracchi led off the sixth with a solo shot and senior center fielder Jared Rossi (Johnston, RI) singled in another, but BSC freshman Jonathan Surette (Lynn, MA) struck out the side to preserve the win for sophomore Jim Balboni (Townsend, MA). Balboni allowed five runs on nine hits, while striking out three, in 5 1/3 innings to stay unbeaten (4-0) on the year. RIC sophomore Andrew McKeon (Johnston, RI) took the loss (1-1), allowing four runs on six hits in 4 innings of work.

The Anchormen scored 11 runs in the first three innings of game two to salvage the split.

Levesque belted a two-run single and sophomore third baseman John Stone (Narragansett, RI) knocked in another with an RBI double as part of a three-run first to give the hosts a 3-1 lead.

Sophomore shortstop Kyle Allaire (Uxbridge, MA) and Rossi singled in a run apiece, while Levesque hit a deep sacrifice fly, as RIC added three more runs to go up, 6-3, after two innings.

The Anchormen scored six times on five hits as part of a five-run third inning. Junior catcher Justin Corso (Cranston, RI), Allaire, Rossi and Levesque all produced runs with RBI singles.

Bracchi belted his third homer (3) of the day with a solo shot in the fourth. Junior Matt Thadeio (West Greenwich, RI) picked up the win (3-0) with four innings of shutout relief after replacing freshman starter David Hoey (Lincoln, RI). BSC freshman starter Keith Barry (Westford, MA) took the loss (1-1), allowing six runs on five hits in just an inning of work.

Levesque, the reigning Little East Conference Player of the Week, went 3-for-7 with a homer, a run scored and five RBI in the two games. Rossi and Allaire both went 4-for-7 with three and two RBI, respectively.

For Bridgewater State, freshman second baseman Tyler Dennis (Stoughton, MA) and sophomore shortstop Brian Medairos (Brockton, MA) each went 3-for-5. Dennis added three runs scored and an RBI. Junior left fielder Ian Williams (Taunton, MA) went 3-for-8 with a double, a homer (3), two runs and three RBI.