Baseball Splits MASCAC Twinbill With Fitchburg State

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team split a MASCAC doubleheader with visiting Fitchburg State University on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Park.

The host Bears took the first game, 4-2, while the Falcons earned the split with a 2-1 come-from-behind win in the nightcap.

With the split, the Bears are now 6-17 on the season and 3-7 in the MASCAC, while the Falcons see their record go to 11-13 overall and 4-6 in conference play.

In the opener, Chris Pessotti went the distance on the hill for the Bears giving up just two unearned runs while scattering six hits. Pessotti (1-1) walked one and fanned one.

Fitchburg opened the scoring in the top of the second inning. Brendan Cutler led off the frame with a base hit, took second on a passed ball and third on a sacrifice bunt. Clayton Beaulieu followed with an RBI ground out to give the Falcons the 1-0 lead.

The Bears pushed across all four of their runs in the bottom of the third. Singles by Sean Brooks and Travis Ritchie and a Scott O'Brien hit by pitch loaded the bases with one out. Nick White stroked a two-run double to right center to give BSU the ead. Keagan Austin-MacInnis followed with a two-single through the right side to make it a 4-1 game.

The Falcons cut the deficit to 4-2 with a run in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Mike St. John doubled to center and scored on a dropped fly ball when the BSU outfielders collided.

Fitchburg loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh on a pair of singles and and an infield throwing error. Pessotti, however, induced a game-ending ground out to end the threat and secure the win for the Bears.

Austin-MacInnis went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI to lead the BSU offense.

Cutler had a pair of hits in three at bats to pace Fitchburg State.

Connor Collett (2-1) gave up four runs on seven hits in six innings with a walk in the setback on the mound for the Falcons.

In game two, the Falcons rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh inning to erase a 1-0 deficit and earn a split of the doubleheader.

Down a run in the seventh, back-to-back walks by Luis Ortiz and Beaulieu put runners on first and second with one out. Following a pitching change, Derrick Frazier lined a single to right center to score Ortiz and tie the game at 1-1. After Steve McFadden was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Mike Maloney singled through the left side to plate Beaulieu with the go-ahead run.

Nik Powers picked up his first win of the season on the mound for the Falcons. Powers (1-3) allowed just the one run on five hits over six innings. Javier Lozada pitched a one-two-three ninth to earn his fifth save.

White singled home Ritchie with the Bears' only run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Ritchie had singled to open the frame and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and throwing error.

Nicholas Ciuffo pitched very well for Bridgewater but was not involded in the decision. Ciuffo hurled 5 2/3 scoreless innings giving up just three hits while walking two and fanning one.

Shane Surette (0-4) was tagged with the loss in relief of Ciuffo. Surette got the final out of the sixth inning and retired the leadoff batter in the seventh, but gave up the two walks during the Falcons' rally.  

White and Maloney were the only batsmen with multiple hits as they both went 2-for3 with an RBI.

The MASCAC schedule continues for both teams on Monday afternoon. The Bears entertain MCLA in a twinbill at noon, while the Falcons host a doubleheader with Westfield State University at one.