WORCESTER, Mass. -- Westfield State junior Kevin Lyons (Braintree, MA) went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs and classmate Jesse Vermeersch (Marlboro, MA) tossed a complete game effort to help propel the fourth-seeded Owls to a 10-4 victory this afternoon over #2 Bridgewater State in the semifinal winners bracket of the MASCAC Baseball Tournament hosted by Worcester State at Lake Park.
Westfield State (22-14) advances to the championship game tomorrow at 1 PM while the Bears (24-15 look to stave off elimination when they play at 5:20 against the top-seeded Lancers. Earlier this morning WSC defeated MCLA to advance to the last game of the semifinal round.
Bridgewater State got to Vermeersch early as they built up a 3-0 lead over the opening two innings. Senior Brandon Elliot (Brockton, MA-LF) drove in classmate Brad Koneski (N. Dighton, MA-2B) in the first and junior Mark Claffey (Bellingham, MA-3B) along with senior Kelly LaDow (E. Falmouth, MA-C) added back-to-back RBIs in the second.
But Vermeersch (5-1) settled down and he set down 18 of next 23 batters from the third through the eighth inning. During that stretch Vermeersch scattered two hits, walked three and he stranded a pair in scoring position. He would end the contest hurling 142 pitches, striking out seven while issuing five free passes.
Westfield State used a key rally in the top of the fourth to take control of the game. Junior Ben Campbell (Easthampton, MA-DH) started the inning with a walk and then Lyons followed with a two-run homer to the deep part of centerfield before sophomore Pete Grillo (Shrewsbury, MA-2B) capped off the inning with a two-run double to right to put the Owls up 4-3.
After Westfield State tacked on another run with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth, the Owls put the game out of reach when Lyons hammered a two-run double to push the advantage to 9-3.
Trailing 10-3 entering the bottom of the ninth, Bridgewater State got a run on a sacrifice fly by LaDow, but that was all the damage the Bears would end up doing as Vermeersh induced a flyout to end the contest.
Westfield State pounded out 13 hits as junior Mike Trachtenburg (Newton, MA-CF) went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI while Grillo and sophomore Pete Hogan (Weymouth, MA-C) combined for four hits and three plated runs.
Elliot, Koneski and senior JT Mooney (N. Attleboro, MA-CF) each notched two base hits apiece while LaDow drove in a pair of runs.
Sophomore Jeff Puopolo's (Brockton, MA) record evens out to 4-4 as he worked 4 1/3 innings allowing five runs on seven hits to go along with four walks and three strikeouts. Freshman Jim Balboni (Townsend, MA) stopped the bleeding for the Bears as he worked the last three innings allowing one run over that stretch.