Offensive Outburst Lifts Baseball to 17-11 MASCAC Win Over Framingham

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team had a season-high run total in a 17-11 victory over Framingham State University Saturday afternoon.

The Bears scored nine times in the top of the fourth inning and had 17 hits against the Rams.

Senior Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) went 4-for-6 for BSU while junior Ryan Flaherty (Duxbury, Mass.) was 3-for-6. Emerson broke BSU Hall of Famer Ed Grueter's all-time program mark for singles with the 165th of his career. Grueter registered 164 singles from 1988 to 1991.

Junior Riley Thornell (Wareham, Mass.) and senior DJ Prampin (Worcester, Mass.) each had two hits and drove in three runs.

Freshman Cam Beltramini (Hanson, Mass.) was 2-for-2, drew three walks and scored three runs.

The Bears improved to 10-7 and are 2-1 in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference after winning the series against the Rams.

Framingham State, which committed five errors, is now 2-14 and 1-2 in the conference.

The game was played at Alumni Park, but BSU was designated as the visiting team.

The Bears held a 3-0 lead after scoring a run in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly by Beltramini and two more in the third on an RBI double by Flaherty with the other scoring on a groundout.

Framingham State then scored six runs in the bottom of the third.

Freshman Massimo Mondi (Rockaway, N.J.) had a two-run double down the left-field line and senior JC Espinal (Peabody, Mass.) singled in a pair before senior Lucas Basile (Upton, Mass.) added a two-run single up the middle.

BSU came right back in the top of the fourth with the nine-run outburst.

After Thornell singled and Beltramini drew a walk, Emerson delivered a double to left for a run and a wild pitch and fielder's choice scored the next two runs to make it 6-6.

Flaherty had an RBI single to center to break the tie and Prampin brought in two runs with a double to left-center, making it 9-6.

Prampin later scored on a throwing error, Thornell brought in a run with a groundout and Beltramini scored on a wild pitch for the second time in the inning.

BSU sent 16 batters to the plate and had only five hits, taking advantage of five walks.

The Bears extended the lead to 13-6 in the sixth inning when senior Brendan Flaven (Taunton, Mass.) drove in Emerson with a single to right.

Framingham State scored five runs in the bottom of the inning to get within 13-11.

The first two runs came home on a wild pitch and groundout before freshman Christain Cox (Shoreham, N.Y.) hit a two-run homer to right. Senior Dane Frellick (Fairview, N.C.)added an RBI single for the Rams' final run.

BSU finished the scoring with a four-run seventh inning.

Thornell singled up the middle for two runs, Emerson had an RBI single to left and a throwing error brought home the final run of the day.

Sophomore Patrick Chapin (Framingham, Mass.) improved to 2-0, working 2 1/3 innings for the Bears. He was the second of four pitchers, taking over for starter Shane Handrahan (Raynham, Mass.).

Rams starter Javier Lopez (Springfield, Mass.) went 3 1/3 and took the loss. The freshman was one of six pitchers used by Framingham State.

It marked the sixth time that BSU has scored in double figures this season.

Through 17 games, Emerson is hitting .479, going 35-for-73 with 10 extra base hits.

The Bears are at UMass Dartmouth on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in a non-conference game. The next MASCAC game is Friday afternoon when Salem State visits BSU.

The Rams travel to Gordon College for a 3 p.m. game Wednesday.