WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State junior Dan Burnett (Granville, Mass.) launched the go-ahead two-run home run as the Owls mashed three homers as part of a 13-10 victory over Wesleyan University on Wednesday afternoon from Hagan Field in Westfield, Mass.
The Owls erased two separate four-run deficits with a sixth inning rally leading to Westfield's first lead of the game. Trey Faulkner (Springfield, Mass.) connected for a sacrifice fly in the fifth to trim the Owls deficit to three runs, setting up a four-run sixth frame.
After a Justin Neidel (Attleboro, Mass.) single, Robison Guerrero Baez (Dominican Republic) crushed a two-run homer to left to bring the Owls within one run. Nick Marshall (Reading, Mass.) followed with a double, then Burnett delivered a long fly ball to left that cleared the left field fence to give the Owls their first lead of the game at 9-8.
The Westfield bats stayed hot in the next inning, punctuated by an Ethan Day (Meriden, Conn.) two-run double to open up a 12-8 advantage. The Cardinals got a run back in the eighth inning on a home run from Ernie Little (Melrose, Mass.) to make it a three-run game, but Westfield tacked on an additional insurance run in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI double from John Nickerson (Chelmsford, Mass.).
Owls reliever Billy Casey (Dedham, Mass.) allowed for Westfield to mount a comeback and maintain the lead after tossing 3.1 innings out of the bullpen, giving up one run on one hit with three strikeouts. The Owls turned the ball over to Joe Espinola (Plymouth, Mass.) in the ninth inning where he recorded the final three outs to secure the win.
Westfield buried themselves with a four-run deficit after three innings of play. The Cardinals jumped out to an early two-run lead starting with a passed ball on a squeeze bunt attempt that led to James Marsden (Ivoryton, Conn.) scoring the game's first run. Little followed with an RBI single into right field to put Wesleyan up 2-0 after one inning.
Two additional runs came across to score in the third inning with Little collecting one of his three RBI on the day to drive the lead up to 4-0. Wesleyan threatened with a potentially big inning in the fourth, loading the bases with one out. Owls starter Dominic Novio (Mansfield, Mass.) was able to escape the inning unscathed by forcing a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame.
The hold in the top half of the inning allowed for Westfield to rally and even up the score in the fourth inning. Marshall continued his torrid streak at the plate, belting his second home run in as many days on a two-run shot to left-centerfield to plate the Owls first two runs of the contest. With the home run, Marshall pulled into a tie for fourth on the single-season home runs list in program history after registering his ninth long ball of the season.
With one out in the inning, Burnett and Devin Slattery (Ware, Mass.) reached base on consecutive hits, setting the table for Faulkner as he laced a ball into left for an RBI single. Neidel was then hit by a pitch to tie the game at four runs apiece.
In the fifth inning, the Cardinals answered for four runs of their own to regain their four-run lead. Ricky Finkel (New York, N.Y.) doubled to center to drive in Kyle Sylvester (Hanover, Mass.), then later in the frame Marsden brought home another run on an RBI single. Two more runs were tacked on via error and a passed ball to make it an 8-4 Cardinals lead, but the Owls bats were consistent throughout the contest and used the long ball to regain the lead in a game that saw a combined 23 runs, 23 hits, and four home runs.
Six Owls hitters generated multi-hit games with five of them registering multiple RBI. Little led the Cardinals with three hits and three RBI.
B. Casey (W, 1-0) recorded his first win of the season while Ian Appleby (Cohasset, Mass.) was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs in two innings of relief.
Westfield State (9-12, 4-2 MASCAC) will enter back into conference play on Friday as the Owls travel to Worcester State for a MASCAC game with first pitch slated for 3:00 P.M. Wesleyan University (9-12, 3-3 NESCAC) will host Emerson College tomorrow at 4:00 P.M.