Westfield, Mass.- The Westfield State University baseball team is set to play their first Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference games in a three-game series against Fitchburg State this weekend.
The Owls (7-6) will travel to Michael P. Riccards field in Fitchburg, Massachusetts for game one on Friday, April 1, with first pitch scheduled to be throw at 3:00pm. The opposing Falcons are currently nestled at 3-14 overall, coming off a string of four straight losses.
Westfield is fresh off their first series win of the season, stealing two of three from the Western New England Golden Bears. The series showcased sound performances from the Owls' pitching staff. Ryan Donahue (1-0) (Medfield, Mass.), Nate Langmeier (0-1) (East Granby, Conn.), and Samuel Palmer (0-0) (Medfield, Mass.) each earned a start, and the staff combined for 23 innings pitched, 22 hits, nine earned runs, and 25 strikeouts throughout the weekend.
Owls' ace Shane Bogli (Vernon, Conn.) will likely be the starter to kick off the series in Fitchburg, with Langmeier and Donahue expected to follow.
Westfield's bats continued to torch baseballs, as the Owls recorded 24 hits in last weekend's matchup. Of those 24, six fell for extra bases, including a pair of homeruns for both Nick Martin (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Nolan Florence (Chicopee, Mass.), who combined for all eight of their team's runs in game one. Florence also proved to be the hero of game three and secured the Owls' first series win with a deep walk-off single, lifting the Owls over the Golden Bears, 5-4.
Ethan Day (Meriden, Conn.) continues to lead his team in batting average (.381) after going 4-10 with a double and two RBI over the weekend. Day has also proven his worth defensively, as he's made a handful of web-gems in left field.
Fitchburg will be looking to throw their top three starters in graduate student Richard Sharp (0-2, 6.62 ERA) (Townsend, Mass.), first year Robert Clarke (2-1, 8.10 ERA) (Plymouth, Mass.), and fellow first year Jason Bickford (0-0, 3.55 ERA) (Exeter, N.H.).
At the plate, the Falcons are led by senior infielder Vincent Eramo (Shirley, Mass.) who leads the team in batting average with a mark of .368. Eramo has also launched four homeruns and driven in a team high 20 runs in 57 at-bats. Catcher Connor Morehouse (Wetherby Lake, Mo.) has also contributed heavily to the Falcons scoring, with 19 hits, 14 RBI, and two homers in 55 plate appearances.
Be sure to tune in to the broadcast on Saturday at WestfieldStateOwls.com to watch the Owls hunt for their second series win of the season from Bud and Jim Hagan Field in Westfield, Massachusetts.
-- written by Evan Levrault, sports information intern