Baseball Falls to Hilbert in Myrtle Beach, 9-7

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team dropped a 9-7 decision to Hilbert College on Thursday afternoon at The Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The Bears fall to 2-4 on the season-opening trip. The Hawks improve to 7-2.

Hilbert got on the board in the top of the first inning as Nolan Evans drove in a run with a ground rule double and Dustin Hendrix added a sacrifice fly.

Bridgewater answered in the home half of the first as Riley Thornell (Wareham, Mass.) knotted the score with a two-run single.

An RBI double by Konner Hauck in the second inning and an RBI single off the bat of Alex Ellison in third restored the two-run cushion for the Hawks.

Once again, that lead was short-lived as the Bears pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom of the third on a wild pitch and an RBI ground out.

The game remained tied at 4-4 until Hilbert put together a four-run sixth inning. A pair of Hawks scored on wild pitches while Billy LoBello doubled home a run and Hendrix rapped an RBI single.

Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) cut the BSU deficit to 8-5 with an RBI triple in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) homered to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning. The homer marked Wladkowski's first of the season. The Bears tacked on another run in the frame to close the gap to 8-7. Joe Frechette (Plymouth, Mass.) singled with one out and later scored on Kevin Lindsay's (East Bridgewater, Mass.) RBI single.

The Hawks capitalized on a BSU fielding error to plate an insurance run in the top of the ninth.

Dylan Moorhouse worked the first five innings on the mound for Hilbert to pick up his third win of the season. Moorhouse (3-0) allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts. He also hit two batters.

Brendan Walsh closed out the game with two scoreless innings of relief to earn his second save of the 2024 campaign. Walsh gave up a hit and two walks with one strikeout.

Nick Reiser (Nahant, Mass.) tossed the first five innings on the hill for Bridgewater State but did not factor in the decision. Reiser allowed four runs on seven hits with four walks and two strikeouts.

Michael Cobb (Waltham, Mass.) worked the final three innings in relief for the Bears. Cobb gave up just one unearned run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

LoBello (2-5, 2B, 2R, RBI), Evans (2-4, 2B, BB, SB, RBI) and Hauck (3-5, 2B, 2RBI) each recorded multiple hits to pace the Hawks' 12-hit effort.

Wladkowski (2-5, HR, R, 2RBI ), Thornell (2-5, 2RBI) and Lindsay (2-4, BB, R, RBI) rapped multiple hits for the Bears.

The two teams combined for 22 hits, 14 walks and 20 runners left on base. The Bears stranded 12 base runners.

Bridgewater will wrap up play at The Ripken Experience on Friday morning as the Bears will take on Penn State-Berks at 9:00 AM.