VERO BEACH, Fla. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team split a doubleheader with Hilbert College on Sunday in Vero Beach, Florida.
The Bears (2-2) took the opener, 8-3, while the Hawks (1-3) earned the split of the twinbill with a 7-3 victory in the nightcap.
Game One: Bridgewater State 8, Hilbert 3
The Bears broke open a 2-1 game with a five-run fifth inning en route to the 8-3 victory in game one.
Bridgewater banged out six hit in the five-run fifth including RBI singles by senior third baseman Randy Frazier (Wareham, Mass.), junior shortstop Gavin Sparkman (Beverly, Mass.) and senior right fielder Ryan Kelleher (Danvers, Mass.) as well as an RBI double by senior catcher Drew Gentile (Lynn, Mass.). Senior first baseman Reed Pike (Bellingham, Mass.) also plated a run with a sacrifice fly.
Sophomore right-hander Jacob Robbins (Middleboro, Mass.) allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits over 5 2/3 innings to pick up the win on the mound. Robbins (1-0) walked three and struck out six.
Junior left-hander Greg Cavaioli (Leominster, Mass.) got the last four outs of the game to pick up his first save of the season. Cavaioli came one with the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the sixth and induced a fly out to end the inning.
Kelleher went 3-for-4 with three RBI to pace the Bears' 11-hit attack. Gentile (1-2, 2 BB) and Frazier (2-3, BB) each reached safely three times in four plate appearances. Gentile scored three runs.
Sparkman (2-3, 2 runs) and senior left fielder Alex Carey (East Bridgewater, Mass.) also finished with multiple hits for the Bears. Carey went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI.
Game Two: Hilbert 7, Bridgewater State 3
The Blue Jays broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the fifth inning and added three more in the sixth to come away with the 7-3 win in game two.
An RBI triple by senior DH Winfred Nelson (Cherry Creek, N.Y.) and a two-run single by sophomore second baseman Ian Moran (Fort Drum, N.Y.) highlighted the four-run fifth for Hilbert. Senior outfielder Eric Flores (San Diego, Calif.) and sophomore third baseman Brandon Zicari (Webster, N.Y.) rapped RBI singles in the Blue Jays' three-run sixth.
Pike went 3-for-3 with a double and run to pace the BSU offense. Sophomore DH Sean Casey (Braintree, Mass.) and junior catcher Alexander Pappas (Lakeville, Mass.) also added two hits apiece for the Bears. Casey singled twice and walked in four plate appearances, while Pappas went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI in his BSU debut.
Freshman right-hander Derek Switzer (Rome, N.Y.) picked up the win for Hilbert. Switzer (1-0) allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings.
BSU freshman righty David Kerns (Cambridge, Mass.) suffered the loss on the mound in his collegiate debut. Kerns (0-1) gave up four runs on five hits also in 4 1/3 innings. He walked three and fanned six.
Bridgewater State's spring break trip to Vero Beach, Florida continues on Tuesday as the Bears take on Eastern Nazarene College with game one of the twinbill getting underway at 11:00 AM.