Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State College baseball team opened up Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) play with a doubleheader sweep of Salem State College this afternoon at Alumni Park in Bridgewater.
Behind a complete game, one-hitter by junior Jeff Puopolo (Brockton, MA), the Bears blanked the Vikings in the opener by a score of 10-0. Bridgewater (9-6, 2-0 MASCAC) competed the sweep with an 11-4 victory in game two.
In game one, Puopolo gave up just a leadoff single in the fifth as he improved to 2-0 on the season with his first career shutout. The junior right-hander walked two and struck out eight.
The Bears put the game away early scoring four runs in the first inning and five more in the second. Three of the nine runs were unearned thanks to three Salem errors over the first two innings.
Freshman center fielder John Garabedian (Mansfield, MA) got the Bears on the board in the first with an RBI single. Rookie second baseman Tyler Dennis (Stoughton, MA) capped off the frame with a two-run double.
After making one miscue in the first, Salem made two more errors in the second and the Bears took full advantage. Senior shortstop Brian Medairos (Brockton, MA) doubled in the first run of the inning and senior third baseman Mark Claffey (Bellingham, MA) followed with a two-run single. Senior first baseman Tom Couet (East Freetown, MA) added an RBI single later in the inning while Dennis drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Couet went 3-for-4 at the plate for the Bears in game one. Dennis finished 2-for-4 with four runs batted in as he added an RBI single in the fourth inning. Claffey reached safely in three of his four plate appearances as he also walked twice.
Junior pitcher Joe Galindo (Monument, CO) took the loss on the mound for the Vikings in game one as he gave up nine runs, only three of which were earned, on five hits and three walks in two innings of work. Galindo (2-2) struck out one and also hit a batter.
In game two, Bridgewater spotted the Vikings a 4-0 lead and then quickly erased the deficit with an eight-run fourth innings as the Bears came away with the 11-4 victory in the nightcap.
Brian Guillotte (New Bedford, MA) was sensational in relief of sophomore starter Jim Balboni (Townsend, MA) as the junior right-hander allowed just two hits in 5 2/3 innings of work to pick up the win. Guillotte struck out eight and retired 16 of the 19 batters he faced after coming on with one out in the second inning. Balboni gave up four runs on five hits and three walks in an inning and a third.
Trailing 4-0 in the fourth, the Bears loaded the bases with one out. Five consecutive singles by Couet, Dennis, freshman catcher Keane Costa (Fairhaven, MA), junior right fielder Greg Steele (North Dighton, MA) and Medairos plated six runs. After a hits batsmen reloaded the bases, junior left fielder Ian Williams (Taunton, MA) singled in the final two runs of the frame to give BSC the 8-4 lead. Steele singled in a run in the fifth and Garabedian drove in two more with an RBI double in the sixth.
Claffey, Williams, Couet and Steele each had two hits apiece for the Bears in the nightcap. Steele also finished with three runs batted in.
Salem scored a run in the first and three more in the second to take the early 4-0 lead. Senior first baseman Steve Mucci (Wallkill, NY) doubled in a run for the Vikings in the second while junior second baseman Troy Ingemi (Malden, MA) added an RBI single. Ingemi finished 2-for-4 in game two while freshman center fielder Sam Perkins (Milford, MA) went 2-for-3.
Sophomore pitcher Matt Kerr (East Freetown, MA) took the loss for Salem as he dropped to 1-2 on the season. Despite breezing through the first three innings, Kerr was touched for eight runs on eight hits in four innings of work. He walked one and hit two-batters.
Bridgewater will travel to Rhode Island College on Monday for a two o’clock doubleheader with the Anchormen. Salem (8-8, 0-2 MASCAC) hosts Becker in a single game on Monday at 3 PM.