Baseball Sweeps Framingham, 8-7 and 4-3

WESTFIELD, Mass.  -- Westfield State swept a MASCAC baseball doubleheader from Framingham State University, winning game one with a dramatic comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning, 8-7, and holding the Rams off by a 4-3 count in the night cap at Bud and Jim Hagan Field on Saturday.

In game one, Aaron Clancy's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh and final inning was the difference-maker, as he drove in Anthony Crowley with the winning run.  Crowley tied the game with an RBI single earlier in the inning.

Crowley finished 2-3 with three RBI. Colin Dunn rapped out three hits and scored two runs, and Clancy and Brett Dooley each drove in a pair of runs for Westfield.

Freshman reliever Ryan Murphy picked up the win, working just 2/3 of an inning to end the top of the seventh to set the table for Westfield's comeback.

For Framingham, Matt Fogarty tripled and scored a pair of runs, while Kyle Dembrowski and Jonathan Cloutier each drove in a pair.  Releiver Kevin Scerra took the loss.

In the nightcap, the Owls topped former MASCAC pitcher of the year Kevin Connelly (L, 1-4), scoring three runs in the second inning.  Tyler Beach drove in Clancy with a sacrifice fly, Casey Boudreau singled home Jake Gibb, and Bryant Dana scored on a passed ball.

The Owls tacked on an important insurance run in the fifth inning when Steven Saucier drove in Clancy with a base hit.

The Rams threatened with a 2-rbi double from Robert Higgins in the top of the sixth, but Westfield starter Shane Bogli (W, 3-1) worked out of the jam to preserve the 4-3 lead.  Owls senior reliever Scott Strachan worked around a walk and a base hit to post a scoreless seventh inning and earn his first save of the season.  Bogli allowed just two hits in his six inning performance.

Clancy and Gibb each had a pair of hits for the Owls.

Westfield is now 12-7 overall and 5-2 in the MASCAC, while Framingham is 10-11 and 4-3 in the conference.