BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The Bridgewater State University baseball team erased an early deficit as the host Bears posted a 12-6 non-conference victory over UMass Dartmouth on Thursday afternoon at Alumni Park.
Winners of nine of their last ten games, the Bears improve to 15-10-1 on the season, while the visiting Corsairs slip to 10-15.
BSU senior John Garabedian (Mansfield, Mass.) set the program record for games played as he started his 152nd straight game in center field. Garabedian, who has never missed a game in four seasons with the Bears, eclipsed Brian Desantes' (1994-97) previous school mark of 151.
UMass took a 5-1 lead after an inning and a half as the Corsairs took advantage of three Bridgewater State errors which led to four unearned runs. Matt Worden (New Bedford, Mass.) singled in a run in the first while Luke Bomback (Swansea, Mass.) added a two-run single in the frame. Worden also drove in a run with a base hit in the second.
After cutting the deficit with a run in the bottom of the second, the Bears scored four times in the fourth to take a 6-5 lead. Anthony Deleo (Athol, Mass.) started the rally with a leadoff double and moved to third on Craig Stewart's (Brockton, Mass.) base hit. After a Sean Brooks' (Braintree, Mass.) sacrifice fly scored Deleo, Garabedian roped a double to the gap in left-center field to put runners on second and third. Sean Riley (Fairhaven, Mass.) walked to load the bases and Tory Buck (Shelburne Falls, Mass.) followed with a two-run double down the right field line to tie the game up. David Piece's (East Bridgewater, Mass.) RBI ground out plated Riley with the go ahead run.
Bridgewater added three more runs in the sixth on an RBI double by Buck as well as a pair of run-scoring singles by Pierce and Nicholas White (Bellingham, Mass.).
The Corsairs pulled to within 9-6 in the seventh on a two-out, RBI double off the bat of Bomback.
The Bears, however, put the game out of reach with a three-run eighth inning with Trevor Lawson (Easton, Mass.) collecting the big hit in the frame with a two-run double. Lawson, who finished with three RBI in the game, would come around to score on White's RBI single.
Each of the Bears' starting nine recorded at least one hit in the game with Buck (3-for-4) leading the way with two doubles, a stolen base, a run and three RBI. Pierce (2-for-5), White (2-for-5), Deleo (2-for-5) and Stewart (2-for-4) all finished with two hits apiece as Bridgewater banged out 15 base knocks in the contest. Pierce doubled, scored two runs and drove in two.
David Holmes (Easton, Mass.), making just his third start, worked seven plus innings to pick up the win on the mound for the Bears. Holmes (2-0) gave up six runs, only two of which were earned, on 12 hits and no walks. He fanned two and hit a batter.
Adam Mullen (Fairhaven, Mass.) got the last six outs to register his first save of the season.
George Bent (Barnstable, Mass.) was tagged with the loss for the Corsairs as he gave up six runs on eight hits over four innings. Bent (0-1) walked three and struck out one. Joshua Tombs (Kingstown, Mass.) worked the final four innings in relief allowing six runs (three earned) on seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
Worden finished 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs and two RBI to lead the Corsairs' 13-hit attack. Alex Newton (Saco, Maine) went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, while Bomback had two hits in five at bats and drove in three runs.
In upcoming action, Bridgewater travels to Salem State University on Saturday afternoon for a MASCAC twinbill with the Vikings starting at 1:30. UMass entertains Western Connecticut State University in a Little East Conference doubleheader on Saturday at noon.