Strong Pitching Performances from Barrie and Brennan Lead Lancers to Sweep of MCLA

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - The visiting Worcester State baseball team got outstanding pitching performances from Tyler Barrie (Oxford, Mass.) and Luke Brennan (Worcester, Mass.) as the Lancers swept the MCLA Trailblazers 5-1 in the opener before rolling to a 9-0 win in the nightcap.  The Lancers also leapfrogged the Trailblazers in the MASCAC standings with today's results.  

The Lancers (15-19 overall) finish at 7-7 in league play.  MCLA is now 12-16 overall and finishes at 6-8 in the conference.  The two teams will meet this Thursday in the quarterfinal round of the MASCAC tournament at Worcester State.  The Lancers are the fourth seed while MCLA is seeded fifth.

GAME ONE: Worcester State 5, MCLA 1

MCLA scored an unearned run in the 1^st off Barrie as Jonathon Parker (Albany, N.Y.) stole third and then scampered home as the throw sailed into left field for a 1-0 lead.  The Lancers immediately got the run back in the top of the 2^nd inning when Jimmy Sheehan (Oxford, Mass.) drove home Kevin Larkin (Bristol, Conn.) to tie it 1-1.

Worcester scored the go ahead run in the 4^th inning and then put the game out of reach with three more in the 5^th off Trailblazer starter Liam Nolan (Pittsfield, Mass.).  In the fourth, Mike Ferrara (Easton, Mass.) singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch with one out.  He advanced to third on a long fly ball to right field and eventually scored on a Mike Powers (Weymouth, Mass.) RBI hit to left making it 2-1.

Worcester State scored three times in the 5^th after Adam Barry (Auburn, Mass.) drove in Ben Palatino (Hudson, Mass.) and Ferrara's RBI singles to drive in Barry.  Ferrara would come around on a Trailblazer error making it 5-1. That was all that Barrie would need as he cruised after his first inning blip.

Barrie set down the final eight Trailblazers in order to improve to 2-for-5 on the season.  He allowed just three hits and struck out five Trailblazers.  Barry led the offense going 2-for-4 while Ferrara added his two hits and two runs scored for the Lancers.

Nolan took the loss for MCLA going six innings and fanning five.  He allowed eight hits as he fell to 1-5 on the season.

GAME TWO: Worcester State 9, MLCA 0

The story in game two was all about Brennan.  The hard throwing right hander tossed a complete game one hitter striking out seven Trailblazers in the process as he improved to 3-5 on the year.  The Worcester State offense pounded out 13 hits in the 9-0 shutout.

The Lancers tallied three times in the 1^st inning off MCLA starter Bobby New (3-1).  Jake Ryan (Northbridge, Mass.) scored the first run after he doubled and came around on Larkin's RBI hit.  Seth Leslie (Phillipston, Mass.) would drive home Ferrara and Larkin to increase the lead to 3-0 after one frame.

The Lancers put the game away with two runs in the 4^th and then scored four times in the 5^th to jump out to a 9-0 advantage.  Barry had a sac fly in the fourth as did Palatino for the two runs.  In the 5^th the key blow was a two run double off the bat of Kenan Kolanda (Sterling, Mass.) scoring Sheehan and Leslie.

Brennan allowed a leadoff single to Joe DiMassimo (Dalton, Mass.) in the second inning before setting down the next 15 Trailblazers in order.  

Leslie ended with a three hit day for Worcester State, while Powers and Kolanda each added two.

MCLA is back in action tomorrow when they face Lyndon State at 1pm. The Lancers resume play on Tuesday (May 2) when they travel to Becker College for a non-conference tilt. The two teams meet again in Worcester on Thursday (May 4).

Release Courtesy of MCLA Sports Information