Baseball Splits Series With Wentworth To Open Southern Trip

Auburndale, FL --- Worcester State and Wentworth drew a split this afternoon in non-conference baseball action this afternoon at the Lake Myrtle Complex.

Freshman Jake Ryan (Whitinsville, M) sparked the Lancers (3-1) with a pair of extra-base knocks a 9-3 opening setback before junior Ben Libuda (Auburn, MA) helped tack down a 4-3 victory over the Leopards (7-3) with a three-inning save.

In the nightcap, third-year Zach George (Attleboro, MA) scampered home in the bottom of the first on a misplayed ball by the left fielder for the early 1-0 advantage.

WSU added another score in the second inning on an RBI ground-out by senior Dan Ubele (Tyngsboro, MA), who drove in freshman Joe Kasper (Lynn, MA), who led off the frame with a double.

The Blue and Gold extended their margin to 4-0 with a pair of runs in the fourth when freshman Adam Barry (Auburn, MA) plated Ubele and sophomore Dennis Duplessis (Marlboro, MA) with a two-run pinch-hit single as a pair of outs were lit up on the scoreboard.

Wentworth, however, broke the shutout by putting up a three-spot on the board to trail by just one run and no one out in the top of the fifth.

The Leopards strung together a trio of solo safeties, took advantage of an error and threatened with runners on first and second.  With Libuda on the mound in relief and no one out, he induced a key double play and a ground-out to help the Lancers avoid any further damage.

Wentworth put the tying run in scoring position in each of the next two innings, but failed to push across the equalizer. Libuda pumped out 41 pitches to record his first collegiate save.

Junior Joe Perlak (Chicopee, MA) set down 11 of his first 15 batters that he faced through his first four innings of work to earn the victory for Worcester State. Perlak (1-0) tossed four-plus innings allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits to go with a pair of strikeouts and one walk.

Libuda fanned two, issued a pair of free passes and permitted two hits over his three scoreless frames in relief.

The Leopards actually doubled up the Lancers in the hitting department (8-6) as there were no multi-hitters for WSU.

Worcester State notched their first run of the opener in the top of the third to start off the game with the 1-0 margin. After freshman Dan McGuill (E. Longmeadow, MA) drew a walk to help ignite the rally, Ryan knocked him in with a two-out triple.

But Wentworth scored four times in the fourth and touched home plate on five more occasions in the next frame to open up a 9-1 advantage.

The Lancers did generate some offense with single runs in each of the final two frames. Ryan started off the top of the sixth with a double and he came around to score on a passed ball as sophomore Steve Wallace (Auburn, MA) registered another score in the sixth on an errant relay throw at the plate.

Freshman Kris Doyle (Millbury, MA) absorbed the loss for the Lancers in the opener. Doyle went the first four innings, giving up four earned runs on four hits to go along with a trio of walks, three hit batters and four punch outs.

Junior Michael Ivas (Worcester, MA) was a bright spot for the Blue and Gold as he rung up the side on strikes in the bottom of the sixth.

The two squads were tied in hits, 7-7, with Ryan contributing a three-batter and a double to help key the Lancers.

Tomorrow Worcester State returns to Auburndale for a 2 PM matchup against William Paterson.

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