Lancers Take 2022 Baseball National Champions to the Wire in Final Game of Spring Break

Myrtle Beach, S.C. - Worcester State, coming off a tough loss to Eastern Connecticut State the night before, took the field against the Warriors once more in their final pre-season game, looking to bounce back and finish strong with the regular season on the horizon. 

FINAL SCORE: Lancers 4, Warriors 5

Senior Cole Glassburn (Hopkinton, Mass.) started strong for the Lancers on the mound, forcing two of three first batters into a ground out. Eastern Connecticut got on the board early off an error by the Lancers first baseman, which allowed the run to score with two outs already recorded, but Glassburn forced the Warriors into a quick out to keep the damage to one in the first. While the Lancers were able to get a base runner on with their first at bat off an error by Eastern Connecticut's third baseman, the Warrior defense tightened up at after that keeping the Lancers off the base for the remainder of the first and second inning, while managing to grab one more run in the second to jump ahead 2-0.

Worcester was not going to let the Warriors run away with this game as they forced Eastern Connecticut into a 1-2-3 third and brought their bats into the action in the third. Junior Colin Fitzgerald (Auburn, Mass.) was walked, putting just the second base runner on for the Lancers on the day. A Tyler Smith (Leominster, Mass.) single sent Fitzgerald to third and placed two runners on. Senior Alex Sorenti-Burns (Sagamore Beach, Mass.) sent a ground ball to the right fielder, sending Fitzgerald home only to be followed up by an Anthony Iamarone (Providence, R.I.) ground ball, this time to left field, to tie the game up at 2-2.

Both teams would lock it in for the next three innings as each worked to find the run needed to put them back on top. Eastern Connecticut thought they had managed it in the top of the seventh when Senior Ben Smith (Bourne, Mass.) loaded the bases after an intentional walk on the Warrior's Donahue. A wild pitch would send in run number three, but Smith struck out the batter swinging for out number three to get out of the jam. Worcester responded in kind to the Warriors' runs when Junior Tom Halliwell (Leominster, Mass.) started things off with a ground ball single to right field and Sorenti-Burns hit a two run homer to give the Lancers their first lead of the game at 4-3.

With the bats heating up, Eastern Connecticut reclaimed the lead in the eight scoring two runs to regain the lead. Worcester failed to come away with any traction of their own in the bottom of the inning and were already gearing up to pull off a walk off win off their win in the ninth as they forced a ground out of the Warrior' first batter, followed by a line drive snagged by Tyler Smith for out number two. They grabbed the final out when they caught a runner going for second to put the win in the line in the bottom of the ninth. Unfortunately, the Lancers were unable to convert in the 9th, going down 1-2-3 in a tight battle versus the Warriors.

Glassburn (70-44)  went 5-innings in the action, allowing 3 hits, striking out 2, while Smith (55-37) finished the final 4-innings out with 5 hits and one strike out. Sorenti-Burns led the team with two hits and three RBIs.

UP NEXT: The Blue & Gold bring it back for the New England portion of their 2023 season next Wednesday afternoon as they are set to face city rivals WPI at the New England Baseball Complex. First Pitch is scheduled for 3:30pm. 

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