Baseball Sweeps Salem State in MASCAC Twinbill

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University baseball team has its first double-digits winning streak since 2012.

The Bears swept a doubleheader from Salem State University, 8-6 and 10-0, on Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Park and have won 10 straight games.

The last winning streak of double figures was from April 12-27, 2012 when BSU had 11 victories in a row.

Senior DJ Prampin (Worcester, Mass.) had his second walk-off home run of the season to give the Bears the opening-game win over the Vikings.

BSU had seven extra-base hits in the second game, which was halted due to darkness in the middle of the sixth inning.

The Bears improved to 15-5 and lead the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference with a 10-1 record. Salem State is 7-10 and 3-3 in the conference.

Game One: Bridgewater State 8, Salem State 6

The game was tied, 6-6, entering the bottom of the seven when Prampin delivered his team-best fifth homer of the season and the 20th of his career.

Junior Benjamin Sepeck (Whitman, Mass.) led with a single to center and Prampin ended the game with a blast over the right field fence.

Senior Matt Kustigian (Charlton, Mass.) improved to 4-0, allowing two runs and three hits in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Senior Trey Yesu (Monson, Mass.) worked the first 5 2/3 innings.

BSU held a 2-0 lead in the second as freshman Nick Berube (Swampscott, Mass.) had an RBI single and sophomore Jamie Luna (Warwick, R.I.) scored on the throw.

The Vikings tied it in the fourth inning on a two-run double down the left-field line by senior Aidan Lynch (North Andover, Mass.).

The Bears took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the inning when Luna reached on an error with two outs, stole second and came around to score when Berube hit a gapper to left-centerfield. Berube was ruled out on the play for not touching first base but the umpires determined that the run counted.

Salem State pulled even again in the fifth as junior Antonio Belgrove (Stamford, Conn.) doubled and scored on a fielder's choice.

BSU went up, 5-3, in the bottom of the fifth as sophomore Cam Beltramini (Hanson, Mass.) singled in a run and Sepeck walked with the bases loaded.

The Vikings got one run back in the sixth on an RBI single by Belgrove.

The Bears were ahead, 6-4, after getting an unearned run in the sixth, junior Logan Petrosino (Beverly, Mass.) scoring after getting a double.

But Salem State rallied for two runs in the top of the final inning.

Junior Jack Doyle (Salem, Mass.) doubled in one run junior Nolan Currier (Maynard, Mass.) singled in the tying run.

The Vikings outhit the Bears, 11-8, but committed four errors.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 10, Salem State 0 (6 Inn.)

Beltramini had three hits to lead BSU while Luna and senior Ryan Flaherty (Duxbury, Mass.) had two apiece. BSU outhit Salem State, 13-2.

Sophomore Chase Beach (Orleans, Mass.) was the winning pitcher in his first start of the season. Beach allowed one hit (in the fourth inning) with two strikeouts and is 1-0.

After Beach went four innings, senior CJ Hess (Providence, R.I.) gave up a hit with three strikeouts in two innings.

BSU scored single runs in the first two innings as senior Joshua Selander (Granby, Conn.) had an RBI single in the first and a wild pitch scored Prampin in the second.

The Bears extended the lead to 5-0 in the third.

Sepeck delivered a two-run double to center and Luna brought in a run with an infield hit.

The Bears put the game away with five runs in the fifth, getting two doubles and two triples.

Luna tripled home Prampin, who had singled, and sophomore Jeyden Espinal (Fall River, Mass.) had an RBI single.

Berube singled in a run and scored on a triple to right-center by Secovich, who came home on a double by Beltramini.

Salem State's lone hits came from Lynch in the fourth and sophomore Ethan Stepputtis (Prospect, Conn.) in the fifth.

BSU plays at home again Wednesday, facing Curry College at 3:30 p.m.

Salem State is at Worcester State on Wednesday at 3 p.m.