WORCESTER, Mass. -- Freshman Jake Sanderski (Millbury, MA-LF) homered to snap an 8-8 tie while junior Kevin Hayes (Milford, MA) hurled four innings of one-run relief to help lead Worcester State to a 9-8 comeback victory this evening in an elimination game of the 2009 MASCAC Baseball Tournament.
The top-seeded Lancers (28-13) will advance to the championship round against fourth seeded Westfield State tomorrow at 1 PM at Tivinan Field. If WSC should win the contest, the second game will start 30 minutes at the conclusion of the contest. Bridgewater State ends their 2009 campaign at 24-16.
Down 8-2 entering the bottom of the sixth, Worcester State staged a furious comeback to knot the score 8-8. Ryan LaPrade (Leominster, MA-2B) reached on an error and WSC soon loaded the bases with back-to-back walks. Sanderski then grounded into a fielder's choice that scored LaPrade before junior Nick Caparell (N. Attleboro, MA-RF) drove home another run and put runners on first and third.
Junior Nick Fluegge (Ware, MA) then mashed a three-run homer for his 11th dinger of the season to cut the deficit to 8-7. Junior Nick Dortona (Malden, MA-3B) knocked in the equalizing run on an infield single later in the inning.
Hayes, who came on in the top of the sixth, proceeded to shut the Bears down as he retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced to record the victory and improve to 2-2 on the year. Hayes also fanned four and walked one as he set down six straight through the seventh and eighth innings.
Hayes's 1-2-3 inning in the seventh set the stage for Sanderski's homer in the bottom of the inning as he hit his first collegiate homer with two outs.
Bridgewater State crossed the plate seven times as they scored in every inning through the fifth. The Bears tagged sophomore starter Bob DeVito (Spencer, MA) with seven runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings of work. The outburst was highlighted by three home runs with two by junior Matt Greenburg (Brockton, MA-DH) and another by senior Brad Koneski (N. Dighton, MA-2B) in the fifth to lead off the frame. Greenburg hit a two-run shot in the second and a solo dinger in the fourth.
DeVito would be lifted by senior Andy Cunningham (Leicester, MA), who promptly walked in a run to give the Bears a 7-0 advantage before he induced a ground-out to end the fifth.
Worcester State would break the shutout as they put up a crooked number in the bottom of the inning as senior Matt Hart (N. Easton, MA-CF) led off the frame with a lead-off homer and on an RBI single by sophomore Shane Coakley (Spencer, MA-DH) to trail 7-2. But Bridgewater State promptly responded with an extra run as they took advantage of an infield miscue as Koneski scored from third.
The Lancers took advantage of the Bears bullpen as they scored seven runs (five earned) off of four hits and two walks. Senior Jeff Sarahs (Whitman, MA) took the loss on the mound as he gave up the homer to Sanderski.
Up until the rally in the sixth, the Lancers had stranded eight men at the plate which included five in scoring position.
Fluegge and Dortona each tallied two hits apiece while the Bears were led by Koneski and Greenburg. The duo combined to go 4-for-7 with six of BSC's eight runs while they each drove in four.