Baseball Drops Pair against Bates In Weekend Twinbill

Darien, CT --- Worcester State was defeated twice by Bates, 15-4 and 3-0, in a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Darien High School. Sophomore Dan Ubele (Tyngsboro, MA) led the Lancers as he went 4-for-6 at the plate with a pair of doubles.

With the sweep the Bobcats run their winning streak to five and their record to 7-2 while the Lancers slip to 0-4 on the young season. The second contest was shortened to seven innings due to impending darkness.

In the nightcap, the score was knotted 0-0 entering the bottom of the sixth as junior lefthander Nick Bonofiglio (Worcester, MA/Holy Name) set down 13 of the first 17 men he faced without yielding a base-knock.

The no-hit bid was preserved an outstanding double-play turn at second by freshman Nicholas Gikas (Danvers, MA) in the first inning and a solid fielding effort by classmate David Ruggiero (Peabodoy, MA) at shortstop to end the fourth.

Bates nearly batted around in the sixth when they loaded the bases and received a key RBI single by senior Mike Ciummei (Acton, MA).

After two more runs were walked in by Bonofiglio for the 3-0 advantage, freshman Joe Perlak (Chicopee, MA) ended the threat by fanning first-year Nate Pajka (Douglas, MA).

In the top of the seventh, sophomore JD Salinas (Fredericksburg, TX) reached on an error with one man down, but Bobcat junior right hander Mike Antonellis (Sudbury, MA) induced a fly-out and spun a grounder to end the contest. Antonellis hurled a complete-game three-hitter to improve his record to 1-0 on the season as he fanned six and walk two.

Bonofiglio's mark on the season drops to 0-1 and his final line included two hits, three runs (one earned), five strikeouts, four walks and two hit batters.

The Lancers lone hits included Ruggerio, Gikas and junior Kurt Sabacinski (Worcester, MA/St. Peter-Marian), but they would leave three in scoring position in the second, third and fourth frames.

Worcester State got on the board early in the first game with two runs in the top of the second. Salinas crossed the plate on a dropped ball by the catcher on a single to right from Ubele and then Ubele came around to score on a plated run by Gikas.

But Bates answered in the bottom of the frame when WSU junior righty Alex Teal (Malden, MA) gave up consecutive singles and a walk before Pejaka delivered a first-pitch grand-slam for the quick 4-2 advantage.

After the Bobcats went up 5-2 after five, the Worcester State got a run back in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by Ubele.

Teal would be lifted in the sixth and then Bates scored 10 unanswered runs off of the Lancer bullpen as they were highlighted by a two-run homers by Pejeka and freshman MeKae Hyde (Lewiston, ME) in the eighth.

Teal's record drops to 0-2 as he gave up five earned runs on six hits to go along with one walk and five punchouts.

Freshman Cody Osburn (Fair Oaks, CA) and sophomore Derek Cole (Billerica, MA) both impressed as they got out of jams in the sixth and eighth with runners on base and just one out.

Bates senior Karl Alexander (Cambridge, MA) recorded his 13th career win to up his record to 2-1 on the campaign. Alexander scattered eight hits and allowed three earned runs with six strikeouts and he walked no one.

Ubele and Ruggerio both had three hits in the opener and Salinas chipped in with two base-knocks and a pair of runs scored.

The Bobcats had the final 15-11 edge in hits as Hyde was 3-for-5 and had at least one batter with one base-hit and four with two.

The Lancers will open up their Florida trip on Thursday with a doubleheader against Curry at 1:30 at Chain of Lakes Field #5 in Winter Haven. Bates travels to Haverford and Swathmore next weekend for twinbills on back-to-back days starting with the Fords on Saturday at noon.