By Keith Brouillard, Fitchburg State SID
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
FITCHBURG, Mass. -- The Fitchburg State baseball team suffered a pair of MASCAC setbacks this afternoon, falling to Bridgewater State 5-1 in game one and 4-1 in game two.
In the opener, Bridgewater State junior John Puopolo (Brockton, MA) stifled the Fitchburg State bats, holding the Falcons to only one unearned and three hits over seven inning of work. The veteran fire-baller collected eight strikeouts in the contests, while not walking a batter.
On the offensive end, junior Ian Williams (Taunton, MA) sparked the Bears, nine-hit attack, belting his fourth homerun of the season to go with one run scored and four RBI. Classmate Greg Steele (N. Dighton, MA) added a 2-for-3 performance with a homerun, two runs scored and one RBI, while six other Bear batters collected hits.
Fitchburg State opened the scoring in the bottom of the second frame as junior Ricky Graham (Walpole, MA) started the inning with a leadoff single and later scored on a Bridgewater State throwing error. The Falcons lead was short-lived however as the Bears connected for four runs in the top of the third frame to post a 4-1 margin.
The Bears took advantage of a crucial Fitchburg State fielding error in the third, notching four unearned runs in the inning. Williams paced the Bears rally with one swing of the bat, belting a grand slam homerun to right field. Freshman John Garabedian (Mansfield, MA) led off the frame with a base-knock, and one error and walk later, Williams stepped in for his third stanza heroics.
In the top of the sixth, Bridgewater State tacked on an insurance run on Steele’s first homerun of the season and cruised to its fourth conference victory behind the arm of Puopolo. Puopolo retired the final 16 batters of the contest, picking up his fourth win of the year.
Fitchburg State senior Nick Ryan (Lowell, MA) suffered the loss (1-2), yielding four runs (zero earned) and five hits over three innings of work. The southpaw fanned two batters in his outing before giving way to classmate Marshall Miller (Greenfield, MA), who tossed four innings of relief (5 K’s).
In the second game of the series, Bridgewater State continued its solid pitching display, using a complete game effort from sophomore Jim Balboni (Townsend, MA) to post a 4-1 victory.
Balboni was dominating on the mound, holding Fitchburg State to just four hits through seven innings of work. The second-year thrower surrendered only one earned run in his effort, striking out two and walking none.
Bridgewater State opened the game with an early 3-0 lead, touching for a pair of runs in the first and a single run in the second. Freshman Tyler Dennis (Stoughton, MA) ignited the Bears first inning rally, delivering a RBI single up the middle while Garabedian added his first collegiate homerun with a towering blast to center in the second.
Both teams traded runs in the sixth frame as Bridgewater continued to cling to its three run lead (4-1). Fitchburg State snagged a base-runner in the bottom of the seventh frame, but Balboni closed the door on any Falcon rally with three groundouts to close the stanza.
Junior Steve Donah (Feeding Hills, MA) took the loss for Fitchburg State (0-1), allowing three runs (one earned) and five hits over four innings of work. Freshman Randy Ortiz (Danielson, CT) tossed three effective innings of relief for the Falcons, allowing only one run on three hits and striking out one.
Fitchburg State (12-11, 3-5 MASCAC) will be back in action tomorrow as it travels to Fisher College at 7 p.m. Bridgewater State (14-11, 5-1 MASCAC) will host Westfield State tomorrow in a conference doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.