MCLA Snaps Skid With Split With Westfield State
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The MCLA Trailblazers snapped a 13-game slide with a walk off 3-2 victory over Westfield State in the opening game of a MASCAC doubleheader.
The Owls earned the split with a convincing 11-3 win in game two. MCLA is now 3-16 and 1-7 in the MASCAC. The Owls are 12-11 overall and 4-4 in MASCAC play.
Game One
The Owls took a 2-0 over the Trailblazers in the opener with single runs in the third and fourth innings. Tyler Adams scored the first run as he singled to lead off the frame before scoring on a wild pitch. In the fourth, Danny DiMatteo came around to score on Kyle Colesanti's RBI single to left.
Trailblazer starter Matt Clark got out of further trouble inducing a pair of popups and a groundout to keep MCLA within striking distance. MCLA struggled against Owl starter Peter Liimatainen early on. The sophomore cruised through the first five innings before MCLA mounted a rally in the sixth.
Ryan Ouimet had a one out single and after a groundout he moved to second. A walk and infield hit loaded the bases for Garrett Alibozek and he delivered with a game tying two run single to right field. Kevin Zyrkowski replaced Liimatainen and got out of the inning with a groundout.
Westfield threatened in the seventh when Dan McCormack led off with a walk. He eventually moved to second on a wild pitch and after a two out walk, he stole third putting runners on the corners. Clark would bear down though getting EJ McMillan to ground to first.
Mike Mancivalano led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and Nate Gutmann beat out a bunt to place the first two runners on base. Zyrkowksi would collect a pair of strikeouts to bring Mike Sullivan to the plate. The junior blooped a single into to right field and Mancivalano just beat the throw to the plate for the walk off win.
Clark earned his first win going the distance. He allowed seven hits and walked four Owls. Zyrkowski was tagged with the loss.
DiMatteo and Colesanti each had a pair of hits for Westfield, while Rory Slattery had two for MCLA.
Game Two
The Owls played long ball in the nightcap smashing three home runs in the 11-3 win. Westfield exploded for six runs in the second inning off MCLA starter Tyler Benoit to jump to a commanding lead.
Connor Sheridan led off the inning with a home run to right field. The next two Owls reached base and were sacrificed up to second and third. McCormack would bloop a single to left plating one run. Tim Santilli would follow with another single to make it 3-0 and runners on the corners. DiMatteo then blasted a three run home run to left for a 6-0 cushion.
The Owls added a single run in the third to make it 7-0 before MCLA finally got on the board. Sullivan had the key hit as his two run single made it 7-2. Westfield would immediately answer though as Santilli homered to right in the fourth prompting an MCLA pitching change. MCLA would get a run in the fifth to pull within 8-3 but the Owls plated a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh to ease to victory.
The Owls blasted 15 hits in the nightcap as DiMatteo, McCormack, and Santilli each finished with three apiece. They drove in seven runs between them. Kyle Colesanti also chipped in with two hits.
Westfield's Mike Sullivan earned the win tossing six innings and allowing the three runs. Tommy Nowlan finished off the game striking out a pair.
MCLA finished with six hits including two from Mancivalano.
The Trailblazers are back in action on Wednesday when they host Williams at 4 p.m.
