Baseball Rallies in Game Two for Doubleheader Split Against Bridgewater

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Chase Racine (Pittsfield, Mass.) recorded the go-ahead two-run double down the right field line with two outs in the top of the seventh to propel Westfield State to a 5-4 game two victory as the Owls split a doubleheader with Bridgewater State in the MASCAC regular season finale on Saturday afternoon from Bridgewater, Mass.

The Owls finish the regular season with an overall record of 26-11 and conclude conference play with a 13-8 record, earning the third seed in the MASCAC Tournament after losing the tiebreaker to Mass. Maritime with the Buccaneers taking two of three from the Owls in their series earlier in the year. The Bears finish the regular season with a 26-12 mark and a 17-4 MASCAC record, securing the top seed in the league tournament.

Westfield State will begin postseason play on Thursday as the third-seeded Owls face sixth-seeded Framingham State in an elimination game at 1:00 P.M. at Mass. Maritime. The winner advances into the double elimination portion of the tournament and will face the second-seeded Buccaneers at approximately 5:00 P.M. on Thursday.

GAME 2

Trailing by two runs with two outs and nobody on base in the final inning, the Owls pulled off a sensational comeback to avoid a potential sweep. Dan Burnett (Granville, Mass.) provided a jolt to the offense, belting his 13^th home run of the season to trim the deficit to one run at 4-3. The long ball for Burnett set the single season program record for most home runs and runs batted in in program history.

Nick Marshall (Reading, Mass.) was then drilled by a pitch, putting him at first base as the tying run. Sam Palmer (Medfield, Mass.) followed and wrapped a single into left field with pinch runner Colin Ryan (Pittsfield, Mass.) advancing to third and Palmer up to second after an error, moving the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position.

Racine stepped into the box next and wasted no time putting the Owls ahead on the first pitch of the at bat, sending a fly ball down the right field line to plate two, giving Westfield their first lead of the afternoon at 5-4.

Michael Hall (Westfield, Mass.) entered in the bottom of the seventh and worked a one-two-three inning to record his sixth save of the season and send the Owls to victory.

Dominic Novio (Mansfield, Mass.) picked up the win for Westfield, bridging the gap between Owls starter Jack Novak (Colchester, Conn.) and Hall by providing 1.1 hitless innings, walking two and striking out one.

Burnett and Palmer recorded multi-hit games with two apiece with both of Burnett's hits going for extra bases, increasing his season total to 29.

Marshall got the Owls into the run column in the fifth inning, cutting the Bridgewater lead to one run on a two-strike single into right field which scored Robison Baez (Dominican Republic) and Jonathan Toth (Granby, Mass.).

GAME 1

In game one, the Owls could not overcome the hot bat of Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) who tallied four RBI and three hits. Emerson led off the scoring with a solo home run in the first with Westfield responding in the top of the second by tying the game after a Bears error. 

Emerson put Bridgewater ahead in the bottom of the frame with a single up the middle, then in the fourth inning, the Bears extended their lead to four runs with two runs scoring off a bases loaded hit by pitch and walk. Another run came in to score on an Owls error in an inning where Bridgewater did not register a hit.

Westfield answered the three-run fourth from the Bears with a three run frame of their own in the fifth. Devin Slattery (Ware, Mass.) drove in two on a single to right field, making it a two run contest at 5-3. Toth added a two-out single into left field which plated Slattery to cut the deficit to one. The inning ended on a hard hit line out to third off the bat of Alex Martin (Shrewsbury, Mass.).

Despite trimming the gap to one run, Emerson provided the Bears with another clutch hit, this time a double into the left centerfield gap to drive in two, pushing the lead back to three runs. Phillip Messina (Dunkirk, N.Y.) added a solo shot in the sixth inning to increase the Bears lead to four where they would eventually take the opener of the doubleheader slate.

Sean McNamara (Lowell, Mass.) took the loss for Westfield in what was a mixed bag performance by the righthander who worked 3.2 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on two hits. He struck out nine but also walked seven.