Baseball Splits Doubleheader with UMass Dartmouth

DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader with UMass Dartmouth on Friday afternoon at the UMD Baseball Field.

The Bears (7-4) won the opener, 4-3, while the Corsairs (7-5) earned the split with a 4-3 victory in the nightcap.

Game One: Bridgewater State 4, UMass 3

Senior righthander David Kerns (East Cambridge, Mass.) picked up the win on the mound in game one for the Bears. Kerns (2-0) gave up three runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

After junior left fielder Andrew Bryant (Canton, Mass.) belted a two-run homer with nobody out in the bottom of the first inning, Kerns settled down and retired 15 of the next 17 batters he faced.

The Bears answered with a pair of runs in the top of the first on a squeeze bunt by sophomore shortstop Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and a Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) RBI single.

BSU junior first baseman Dan Saraceno (Mansfield, Mass.) broke the 2-2 tie with a two-run double in the top of the fourth inning to put the Bears on top.

The score remained 4-2 until the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Bryant singled, stole second, advanced to third on a fly out and raced home when sophomore designated hitter Jared Neikam (Bedford, N.H.) reached on an infield single. Kerns ended the inning by picking off a pinch runner at first.

Clinging to a one-run lead in the bottom of the seventh, Kerns retired the first two UMD batsman before giving up a single and walk. Junior righthander Tyler Dasilva-Medeiros (Taunton, Mass.) came on in relief to close out the game and committed an error to load the base. Dasilva-Medeiros then fanned the next batter looking to secure the win and pick up his second save of the season.

Saraceno went 2-for-4 with the two-run double to lead the Bears' nine-hit attack, while sophomore right fielder Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) singled twice and scored a run in four at bats. Emerson finished 1-for-3 at the plate with a stolen base, run and RBI.

Graduate righthander Ryan Bruning (Centerville, Mass.) was saddled with the loss for UMass. Bruning (2-2) gave up four runs (two earned) on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings with a walk and a pair of strikeouts. Junior righthander Adam Horowitz (Seekonk, Mass.) pitched well in 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Corsairs as he allowed just one hit, did not walk anyone and fanned five.

Bryant went 2-for-3 with the two-run homer and two runs scored to lead the UMD offense. Neikam singled twice in three at bats and drove in a run.

Game Two: UMass 4, Bridgewater State 3

UMass jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Junior third baseman Dj Perrone (Swansea, Mass.) got the Corsairs on the board with an RBI single while sophomore first baseman Matt Tempone (Smithtown, N.Y.) connected for a two-run double in the frame. Bryant tried to score all the way from first on Tempone's double but was thrown out at the plate.

The score stayed that way until Bridgewater State rallied for three runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game. Lindsay singled with one out, advanced to third on Emerson's double and raced home on a wild pitch. Wladkowski followed with an RBI double and later scored the tying run when sophomore left fielder Joe Frechette (Plymouth, Mass.) reached on an error.

The Bears left the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, while UMass had a runner thrown out at the plate in the home half of the inning as the game headed to the seventh.

Bridgewater loaded the bases again in the top of the seventh with one out, but senior reliever Tyler Arruda (New Bedford, Mass.) recorded back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam.

A BSU error to start the bottom of the seventh inning would prove costly. Senior pinch runner Tyler Lyons (Wallingford, Conn.) moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third when senior pinch hitter Kyle Denis (Warwick, R.I.) reached on an infield single. Following an intentional walk to load the bases, freshman shortstop Chase Pariseau (Warwick, R.I.) rapped the game-winning base hit into right field.

Neither starting pitcher factored in the decision.

BSU graduate righthander Matt Josselyn (Hanson, Mass.) worked the first six innings for the Bears and allowed three runs on seven hits with no walks and one strikeout. After giving up the three runs in the first, Josselyn retired 14 of the next 15 batters he faced before escaping out of the sixth.

Junior righthander Ryan Qualey (Woburn, Mass.) got the start on the mound for the Corsairs and gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

Arruda (1-0) tossed a scoreless seventh inning to pick up the win in relief despite loading the bases with one out on two hits and walk.

Wladkowski went 2-for-4 with a double, run and RBI to highlight the BSU offense in game two. Frechette (2-4, 2B) and sophomore third baseman Kyle Suraci (Clinton, Conn.) also finished with multiple hits for the Bears. Suraci doubled and singled in four at bats.

Bridgewater banged out ten hits in the nightcap and were issued four walks, but left 11 runners on base.

Freshman second baseman Devyn Vezina (Coventry, R.I.) went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base to lead the UMD nine-hit attack. Neikam (2-3, SB, R) also notched multiple hits for the Corsairs.

Bridgewater State is back in action on Tuesday afternoon when the Bears host Wheaton College at 3:30. The game marks the home opener for the Bears.