Baseball Swept by Ursinus

By Jim Fenton

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team opened an eight-game spring break trip by losing a doubleheader on Saturday.

The Bears allowed 22 runs while losing to Ursinus College of Pennsylvania, 10-8, in eight innings in the opener and 12-0 in the second game at Griffith Field.

Ursinus scored a pair of runs in the top of the eighth in the first game after BSU (0-3) rallied in the bottom of the seventh. Ursinus then took advantage of six BSU errors in the nightcap for the sweep.

Game One: Ursinus 10, Bridgewater State 8 (8 Inn.)

Ursinus scored a pair of runs with two outs in the top of the eighth inning to win the opener.

BSU had rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, but sophomore Barritt Ross (Lewes, Del.) drove in two runs with a double to right to put Ursinus in front in the eighth.

Senior Andrew Richter (Chester, N.J.) had led with a single to right and advanced on an error on the play, and after two outs, freshman Devin Fogg (Roseland, N.J.) walked. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and scored on the Ross hit.

Both teams had 10 hits in the first game.

Ursinus scored first, taking a 1-0 lead in the third on a sacrifice fly by Richter.

The Bears took a 2-1 lead in the third on a one-out home run to right by senior Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) after a double by senior Philip Messina (Dunkirk, N.Y.).

BSU scored three in the fourth for a 5-1 lead. Messina delivered a two-run double to left-center and scored on an infield error.

Ursinus scored two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings to make it 5-5.

A bunt single by sophomore Brandon Sullivan (Middletown, Del.) scored senior Jordan Williams (East Brunswick, N.J.), who had tripled, and Beaver had an RBI double down the line in left.

In the sixth, the runs were scored on a sacrifice fly by Williams and a single to left by Sullivan.

The Bears went up, 6-5, in the sixth on an RBI single by junior Danny Jasmin (East Meadow, N.Y.) after Messina led with a triple to left.

But sophomore Marco Maiuolo (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) led the seventh with a pinch hit homer to left to tie the game at 6.

Fogg and Ross drew walks and after a sacrifice bunt, Fogg scored on a wild pitch and Ross scored on a sacrifice bunt by Sullivan for the 8-6 lead.

BSU was down to its final out in the seventh when senior Brendan Flaven (Taunton, Mass.) was hit by a pitch and senior DJ Prampin (Worcester, Mass.) hit a clutch two-run homer to left to knot the score at 8-8 and send the game to extra innings.

Senior David Morgan (Venice, Fla.) worked the final two innings and was the winning pitcher while freshman Chase Beach (Orleans, Mass.) took the loss for the Bears.

Messina led the BSU offense, going 3-for-4 with his three extra base hits and two RBI.

Game Two: Ursinus 12, Bridgewater State 0

BSU was limited to five hits by two Ursinus pitchers and allowed the winners to score in five of six innings.

Ursinus took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Sullivan reached on an infield error and senior Jakob Cantor (Philadelphia, Pa.) singled to left-center.

A groundout by Richter brought in the game's first run and another infield error made it 2-0. Senior Jude Gilhool (Moorestown, N.J.) then produced the third run with a double to left-center.

The lead went to 4-0 in the third as Richter singled to left, Shane Beaver (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had an infield hit, and after a sacrifice bunt, Richter scored on a wild pitch.

Ursinus then scored five times in the fourth inning.

Richter hit a grand slam to right field after singles by George Nestor (Drexel Hill, Pa.) and Williams and a walk to Cantor. Also in the inning, a single through the right side by Fogg scored Beaver for a 9-0 lead.

Richter drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 10-0 in the fifth.

Ursinus (6-3) added two runs in the sixth on a sacrifice fly and an infield error.

Winning pitcher Kieran Hollander (Cranford, N.J.) went six innings, with the senior left-hander allowing five hits and striking out six.

Seven of the 12 Ursinus runs off senior starter Nick Reiser (Nahant, Mass.) and sophomore Maxwell Morotti (Westport, Mass.) were earned.

The Bears were limited to four singles and a double by junior Joshua Selander (Granby, Conn.).

In his first career at bat, BSU freshman Jamie Luna (Warick, R.I.) lined a pinch hit single to right-center in the top of the fifth inning for his first collegiate hit.

BSU returns to action Sunday at 9 a.m. against Wittenburg University of Springfield, Ohio.

Ursinus also plays Wittenburg at 12:30 p.m.