BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team split a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) twinbill with visiting Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Park.
The host Bears (14-16, 5-7 MASCAC) won the opener, 8-5, while the Buccaneers (18-12, 10-2 MASCAC) earned the split with a 6-3 decision in game two.
Bridgewater clinched a spot in next week's MASCAC Tournament with the 8-5 win in game one.
Trailing 2-1 after three innings of play in game one, the Bears took advantage of four MMA errors to push across four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and take a 5-2 lead. Randy Frazier (Wareham, Mass.), Anthony Licciardello (Haverhill, Mass.) and Ryan Kelleher (Danvers, Mass.) each rapped RBI singles in the frame.
The Buccaneers responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth and then tied the score at 5-5 with a run in sixth.
In the fifth, Connor Kennedy (West Barnstable, Mass.) walked, advanced to third on a base hit by Logan Sullo (Acushnet, Mass.) and scored on a fielder's choice RBI ground out off the bat of Jake Petruzelli (Abington, Mass.). Petruzelli would come around to score all the way from first on an RBI double by Kevin Troy (Braintree, Mass.).
In the sixth, Kennedy tripled home Everett Walsh (Marstons Mills, Mass.) with the game-tying run.
Bridgewater answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth as the Buccaneers committed two more errors. The Bears loaded the bases on a base hit, an error and a hit by pitch. Scott O'Brien (East Bridgewater, Mass.) followed with a two-run single to right plating Matt Cassese (Taunton, Mass.), who singled to start the rally, and Kelleher. Travis Ritchie (Taunton, Mass.), who was hit by a pitch, came all the way around from first as the right-fielder overran the ball.
Connor Birch (Bellingham, Mass.) went the distance on the mound for the Bears to pick up his first win in a BSU uniform. Birch (1-2) allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits with four walks and five strikeouts.
O'Brien went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in to highlight the Bridgewater offense.
Brian Kwedor (Marshfield, Mass.) worked the first four innings for the Buccaneers but was not involved in the decision. Kwedor gave up five runs, only one of which was earned, on four hits with a strikeout. Justin Nichols (Adams, Mass.) was tagged with the loss in relief. Nichols (0-3) allowed three unearned run on two hits in an inning and two-thirds.
Troy went 2-for-3 with an RBI double to pace the visitors.
In game two, Kevin Kwedor (Marshfield, Mass.) tossed six strong innings to lead Mass. Maritime to the 6-3 win. Kwedor (4-1) gave up just one run on five hits with a walk and a pair of strikeouts.
Sullo belted a solo home run over the left field fence to give the Bucs the 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
Mass. Maritime pushed across three runs in the fourth to increase the advantage to 4-0. Walsh had an RBI single in the frame while Kennedy knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly. The other run in the inning came across on a wild pitch.
The Bears cut the deficit to 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Kelleher singled to left, stole second and scored on Ritchie's RBI base hit to left.
The Buccaneers extended their lead to 6-1 with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. Troy doubled to open the frame and scored on a big two-out single to left off the bat of Riley Fusaro (Nantucket, Mass.). Fusaro, who advanced to second on an error by the left fielder, came home on an RBI double by Greg Downs (Marshfield, Mass.).
Bridgewater rallied for two runs in the home half of the seventh, but it wasn't enough. Brandon Hoyle (Bridgewater, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to open the frame and moved to second on Frazier's single. After a ground out and strikeout, Hoyle raced home on a passed ball. Kelleher then followed with an RBI double scoring Frazier to make it a 6-3 game.
Thomas Protentis (Lakeville, Mass.) suffered the loss on the hill for the Bears. Protentis (2-4) worked the first three-plus innings runs as he gave up four runs on four hits and five walks with four strikeouts. Samuel Devine (Bourne, Mass.) pitched the final four innings, allowing two runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
Troy (2-for-4) and Fusaro (2-for-3) both finished with multiple hits to highlight the Bucs' eight-hit attack. Walsh reached safely three times in four plate appearances as he also walked twice.
Kelleher went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI to pace the Bears.
Both teams are back in action tomorrow afternoon at 3:30. The Bears travel to Wheaton College to take on the Lyons, while the Buccaneers entertain the Leopards of Wentworth Institute of Technology.