Baseball Sweeps Curry, 6-3 and 5-4, To Start Off Florida Trip

Winter Haven, FL --- Sophomore Dan Ubele (Tyngsboro, MA) and sophomore JD Salinas (Fredricksburg, TX) both tallied three hits apiece in the first game and Worcester State held off a late charge by Curry in the second contest as the Lancers defeated the Colonels twice, 6-3 and 5-4, on Friday afternoon at the RussMatt Baseball Invitational.

The Blue and Gold (2-4) got on the board with two runs in the top of the third. After WSU executed a double-steal to put runners on second and third with no outs, junior Nick Gezotis (Westfield, MA) notched a run producing ground-out before sophomore Joseph Carlier (Rockland, MA) induced a run-scoring error in the infield.

With the 2-0 advantage, Worcester State scored three more times in the top of the fourth with the bases loaded. Ubele started the rally with an RBI single, Gezotis plated the fourth run on a fielder's choice and then Carlier ripped a deep sac fly to cap off the frame.

Curry (2-7) got to WSU junior lefthander Nick Bonofiglio (Worcester, MA/Holy Name) in the bottom of the fifth when they strung together four straight hits highlighted by an RBI base-knock by junior Sam Barron (Florence, MA) and a two-run double by classmate Matt Rodriguez (Quincy, MA).

After a miscue put runners on the corners, the Colonel's looked poised to score again trailing 5-3, but the Lancers got out of it by picking a runner trying to swipe second.

Worcester State tacked on another run in the top of the sixth when Carlier drove in his third of the contest on an outfield single. Curry juiced the bases one more time in the bottom of the stanza and looked poised to score again, but Bonofiglio retired the final out with a fly-ball to left.  

Freshman Cody Osburn (Fair Oaks, CA) hurled a perfect seventh for his first collegiate save to give the Lancers their first win of the season.

With six strong innings to his credit, Bonofiglio (1-1) ended the contest scattering seven hits and allowing three earned runs. He also finished with four strikeouts and a pair of walks.

Senior Matt Drew (Waltham, MA) shouldered the setback for Curry as he went the three-plus innings yielding five runs (three earned) on nine hits with three punchouts and one free pass.

Carlier and first-year David Ruggiero (Peabody, MA) chipped in with two hits apiece while Ubele and Ruggiero crossed the plate twice. Barron was the lone multi-hitter for the Colonels with a 2-for-4 appearance at the plate.

WSU had their seventh run of the game wiped off the board in the final inning when a runner was called out for missing third base.

In the nightcap, Worcester State picked up where they left off with two runs in the bottom of the second. Salinas plated junior Joe Piscitelli (Oxford, MA) on an RBI ground-out and then senior Jack Rafferty (Thompson, CT) followed with a run producing single.

The Lancers took over the 5-0 edge in the bottom of the fourth. With Rafferty on third, he would come around to score on an errant throw by the catcher on a failed pickoff attempt before first-year Nicholas Gikas (Danvers, MA) and Gezotis both tallied RBI singles.

Curry, however, would get to junior right hander Alex Teal (Malden, MA) with a four-run fifth inning as three were scored with two outs.

Sophomore Matt O'Neil (Milton, MA) scored on a wild pitch and then a misplayed ball in the infield opened the floodgates. Second-year Brandon Lewis (Barrington, RI) scored on the error and then freshman Mike DeLosSantos (Waterford, CT) and sophomore Kyle Connors (Stoughton, MA) added RBI singles.

With the tying run at second, Osburn quelled the threat on a ground-out. Osburn impressed in his second relief appearance of the afternoon as tossed a perfect sixth for the Lancers.

Curry senior reliever Kyle Moore (Lynn, MA) gave his team a chance to rally in the top of the seventh with 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief after he got the final out in the fourth.

After Colonel freshman Tanner Givens (Hamden, CT) led off with a single up the middle, senior Kyle St. Thomas (Bridgewater, MA) spun a double-play and he ended the game with a fielder's choice. The stop was the first of his career.

Prior to their outburst in the fifth, Teal dominated the Colonel lineup by tossing four no-hit frames with six strikeouts as he fanned the side to start off the game. Teal (1-2) finished the contest allowing four runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks and eight punchouts.

Freshman Thomas Fitzpatrick (S. Boston, MA) absorbed the setback for the Colonels. Fitzpatrick lasted three 2/3 innings giving up five runs (four earned) on 10 hits with two strikeouts and a pair of walks.

Rafferty, Gikas and freshman Jeff Bolio (Oxford, MA) all ended the second contest with two hits apiece and Piscetelli drew a pair of walks. Curry had seven hits as a team, but had no multi-hitters.

Worcester State will try to even up their record with a Sunday twinbill against Trinity (CT) starting at 10 AM. The Colonel's end their Florida trip with Washington College on Saturday at 9:30.