WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State graduate student Max Silverman (Westford, Mass.) and senior Nick Martin (Shrewsbury, Mass.) tallied a combined nine RBI over the twin-bill set as the Owls took both games (7-2 in game one and 9-5 in game two) in the season opening doubleheader on the road at Springfield College on Sunday afternoon.
In game one, the Owls were fueled by the bat of Silverman along with strong starting pitching by senior Shane Bogli (Vernon, Conn.). Trailing 1-0 in the top of the third, Silverman clubbed a two-run home run to put the Owls ahead 2-1. The Pride would tie the game on a solo shot by sophomore Andrew McCarthy in the fifth inning, but Silverman once again had an answer as he added an RBI double in the top half of the sixth to take a 3-2 lead. Westfield would tack on another run in the frame, scoring on a two-out error.
In the top of the seventh, the Owls sparked a two-out rally to distance themselves. Silverman provided an insurance run to the lead, collecting a two-out RBI single to drive in Martin. On the next at bat, senior Ethan Day (Meriden, Conn.) collected a two-run single to put the game out of reach.
Bogli tossed a seven-inning complete game in the winning effort, allowing two runs on just four hits while fanning eight batters. He did not walk a batter and was consistently in the zone, hurling 60 strikes on 82 pitches.
Silverman was not retired in the contest and was a triple shy of the cycle. Day and Martin each recorded two hits in game one.
In game two, the Owls struck first in the opening inning as graduate student Casey Boudreau (Shrewsbury, Conn.) wrapped an RBI triple to plate Martin. First-year Nick Marshall (Reading, Mass.) added a sacrifice fly to put Westfield up 2-0.
The Owls would score three runs in the third inning, capped off by an RBI single by Silverman, his fifth RBI of the afternoon.
Springfield College would collect two runs in the fourth inning, started by sophomore Ryan Sorgi (Braintree, Mass.) who belted a solo shot to right field. The Pride collected another run on a Cole Zakegowski (North Haven, Conn.) RBI single, but Owls starter Nate Langmeier (East Graby, Conn.) was able to mitigate the damage, inducing a 4-6-3 double play to get out of the frame and hold the Owl lead at three runs.
Westfield would get a run back immediately in the fifth as Marshall smashed a lead-off home run to right field to put the Owls up four runs, 7-3.
Martin followed in the sixth with a two-run jack of his own, scoring runs number eight and nine for the Owls in a productive afternoon. Martin led the scoring charge in the second game of the twin-bill, collecting four RBI on two hits, while scoring three times.
Langmeier recorded the win, throwing four innings and allowing two earned runs. First-year Samuel Palmer (Medfield, Mass.) was first out of the pen, firing two scoreless innings without allowing a hit.
Westfield State (2-0) will travel south for Spring Break as the Owls will begin the first of five games in Florida, starting on Wednesday in the Russmat Invitational against Johnson and Wales (RI) at noon.