BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team clinched at least a share of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) regular season title as the Bears swept a doubleheader with Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Park.
The Bears won the opener, 5-2, and completed the sweep with a 4-2 victory in game two.
Bridgewater improves to 25-12 on the season and 11-1 in the MASCAC. The Bears have won ten straight games and 16 of their last 17. Mass. Maritime slips to 11-17 overall and 3-9 in conference play.
Kenny Pennini (Millis, Mass.) and Andy Sadoski (Harwich, Mass.) both tossed complete games to lead the Bears on the mound, while Sean Riley (Fairhaven, Mass.) had a key bases loaded triple in the first game and added his seventh home run of the season in the nightcap.
Pennini (4-2) scattered nine hits in the opener to post his third straight win. He allowed just the two runs while walking one and striking out five.
With Bridgewater leading 2-1 in the fourth, Craig Stewart (Brockton, Mass.) and Tory Buck (Shelburne Falls, Mass.) hit back-to-back singles with one out and John Garabedian (Mansfield, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Riley then drilled a 0-1 pitch into the gap in right-centerfield to clear the bases.
The Buccaneers pushed across a run in the sixth on an RBI single by Ben Maher (Plymouth, Mass.) to cut the deficit to 5-2, but that would be all the scoring in the game.
Riley went 2-for-4 at the plate with his three runs batted in. He also stole a base.
Bob Lee (Braintree, Mass.) paced the Buccaneer offense as he went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and a run scored. Brendan O'Kane (Pocasset, Mass.) also finished with multiple hits for the visitors as he went 2-for-4.
Jared Lowe (Brimfield, Mass.) suffered the loss on the hill in the complete game effort for Mass. Maritime. Lowe (0-5) gave up five runs (three earned) on six hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
In game two, Sadoski (7-1) allowed two runs (one unearned) in the first and then settled down to blank the Buccaneers over the final six innings. The right-hander won his fifth straight start as he scattered eight hits, walked three and fanned three.
Mass. Maritime took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a run-scoring single off the bat of William Shouldice (Rutland, Vt.) and an RBI double by Lee.
Riley homered to lead off the bottom of the first for the Bears. Buck followed with a triple to right field, and trotted home on a sacrifice fly by David Pierce (East Bridgewater, Mass.) to tie the score at 2-2.
The Buccaneers had a chance to score in the second but Buck cut down a runner at the plate with a strong throw from right field.
Bridgewater took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth as Stewart led off the frame with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After an out, Garabedian knocked a base hit to left scoring Stewart with the go ahead run.
The Bears would add an insurance tally in the fifth as Buck singled, moved to second on a ground out and scored on a two-out, RBI single by Trevor Lawson (Easton, Mass.).
Buck was the only Bear with multiple hits in game two as he went 2-for-3 and scored two runs.
Shouldice and Bobby Rosano (North Reading, Mass.) had two hits apiece for the Buccaneers.
Zacary Cooney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) was saddled with the loss on the mound for Mass. Maritime. Cooney (2-4) gave up four runs on nine hits with four strikeouts in the complete game effort.
After a non-conference game at Western New England University on Friday afternoon (3:30), the Bears wrap up regular season play on Saturday as they host Salem State University in a key MASCAC twinbill beginning at one. Bridgewater needs just one win over Salem to capture the conference title outright and earn the top seed in next week's MASCAC Tournament.
Mass. Maritime entertains Newbury College on Thursday afternoon at 3:30.