WESTFIELD, Mass. – Ryan Lapierre (Pittsfield, Mass.) struck out a season-high 11 Framingham hitters and allowed just one run over 7.1 innings as Westfield State defeated the Rams 2-1 in a closely contested MASCAC contest from Hagan Field in Westfield, Mass.
Making his seventh start of the season, Lapierre has won every start thus far, improving to a perfect 7-0 on the mound for the Owls, who improve to 20-9 on the season and 8-3 in the conference. Rams starter Cam Prescott (Foxboro, Mass.) was also effective on the mound for Framingham, who fall to 8-13 overall and 6-4 in the MASCAC.
Prescott took the loss, tossing six innings while allowing two runs on six hits, walking three and striking out two.
Runs were difficult to produce with the pitching duel that unfolded between the two teams. Framingham got on the board first in the third inning with Ryan Boyle (Arlington, Mass.) doubling into the right-centerfield gap to score Shane Costello (Wilmington, Mass.) for a 1-0 lead.
The Owls quickly answered in the bottom half of the frame with two-out hitting as Justin Neidel (Attleboro, Mass.) lined a single into right field, scoring Robison Guerrero Baez (Dominican Republic) who led off the inning with a double.
Lapierre would then retire nine of the next ten Rams hitters, setting up another two-out rally for Westfield. Sam Palmer (Medfield, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to begin the frame, then with two outs in the sixth, another hit-by-pitch then consecutive walks led to the go-ahead run with Sean Clark (Dudley, Mass.) drawing a four-pitch walk to take the lead.
The Rams threatened to get the run back in the ensuing top half, but Lapierre stranded a runner at second base, punching out his 10th hitter of the afternoon to end the frame. He returned for the eighth inning by getting the first batter to strike out on a pitch in the dirt, then a single from Lucas Basile (Upton, Mass.) ended his stellar outing at 7.1 innings. The 11 punchouts were one shy of his career-record with the Owls as he struck out 12 hitters in a win against Worcester State last year.
Joe Fischer (Avon, Mass.) entered in relief of Lapierre, getting a tough out in Boyle who hit a liner out to shortstop where John Bessette (Andover, Mass.) was able to make a fully extended, leaping catch for the second out of the inning. Fischer then forced a pop-up to Baez on the infield to preserve the lead heading into the ninth.
The Owls turned to their closer Joe Espinola (Plymouth, Mass.) in the ninth where he would alternate between an out and a hit, as the Rams put runners on first and second with two out after a pinch hit single from Johnny Lynch (Quincy, Mass.) extended the game. Espinola came all the way back from a two-ball, no strike count on the next hitter to get a called third strike, ending the game to nail down his third save of the campaign.
Espinola has now picked up eight career saves for the Owls, moving him into a tie for fourth place in career saves in program history, tying Steve Pereira '78.
Westfield as a pitching staff continued to work effectively on the day, lowering their team earned-run average to 3.21 which currently places fifth in all of Division III. The Owls also used timely defensive plays to assist in the victory, including early in the game where the Owls were able to cut down a run at the plate after a putout at first base.
The Owls and the Rams will next play in a doubleheader set beginning on Sunday at 2:00 P.M. from Bowditch Field in Framingham, Mass.