WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State's Sam Palmer and Nolan Florence each homered to power Westfield State to a 12-5 MASCAC baseball win over Fitchburg State on Friday afternoon.
League-leading Westfield improves to 23-11 overall and 11-5 in the MASCAC, while Fitchburg is now 10-23, 5-11.
The Owls and Falcons meet again tomorrow in a noon doubleheader at Bud and Jim Hagan Field in Westfield.
Westfield starter Ryan Lapierre won his eighth straight start to improve to 8-0 on the season. He allowed eight hits and 2 runs (none earned) and fanned seven. He lowered his league leading ERA to 1.38.
Palmer and Florence both delivered 2-run blasts in the fifth inning. Florence's HR was the 17th of his career, tying him for seventh on the Owls all time list with Chris Malloy '99.
Westfield jumped out to an 8-0 lead through 6.5 innings and held on late for the win.
Florence finished 3-4 with three rbi. Palmer, Justin Neidel, Sean Clark and Robison Guerrero-Baez each had a pair of hits for the Owls.