Lancers Take Two from Owls

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State baseball dropped a MASCAC doubleheader against Worcester State University by final scores of 7-6 in game one and 9-4 in game two on Sunday afternoon from Bud and Jim Hagan Field in Westfield, Mass.

The Lancers take all three games of the series after edging the Owls 2-1 on Friday in the series opener at Worcester.

Two innings altered the trajectory of both games on the day. In game one, Worcester sent ten batters to the dish and scored five runs in the first inning, taking a 5-0 lead before the Owls took their first at bats. In game two, with Westfield trailing 1-0, the Lancers rattled off a seven-run frame to put the game out of reach.

Westfield clawed away at the deficit in game one and made it a one-run game in the sixth inning after a pair of RBI singles from Nick Lenfest (Westfield, Mass.) and Chase Racine (Pittsfield, Mass.). With the tying run on second base with one out, a strikeout followed by a walk loaded the bases with two outs, but Matt Direnzo got a strikeout to end the frame leading by one run.

Sam Palmer (Medfield, Mass.) had three hits and stole two bases and nearly put the Owls in front after launching a ball into the left centerfield gap with two runners on, but the wind knocked the ball down to keep it in the park for a long fly out.

Lenfest added two hits as seven of the nine Owls hits came from the team's top four hitters in the order.

Tyler Normandie belted a solo home run to left field and finished with three RBI and two hits in game one. Kevin Doyle had three bunt singles out of the leadoff and Ryan Jewett added two hits out of the nine hole, including a two-run single with two outs in the first inning punctuate the frame.

Jack Hildred picked up the win for the Lancers, covering four innings while allowing four runs on five hits. He walked four and fanned three. Direnzo secured his second save of the series, finishing the last two innings. Sean McNamara (Lowell, Mass.) took the loss in game one after logging 3.1 innings.

In game two, Nathan Thurber launched a double into the gap to give the Lancers the early lead again before a lopsided third inning ensued, batting through the lineup with Mason Bates giving Worcester a seventh and eighth unanswered run on a double to left field.

Lenfest put the Owls on the board with a sacrifice fly in the third inning, then later in the game, Tyler Pegram (Fountain, N.C.) deposited a two-run single into center field to plate two runs. Devin Buntzen (West Milford, N.J.) added a fourth Owls run in the seventh, singling to left. Pegram had two hits on the day after subbing in the middle innings. Alex Martin (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Nick Gouveia (Grafton, Mass.) each had a double.

Nolan Turner tossed six strong innings for the Lancers, picking up the win while allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk. Craig Barnes (Billerica, Mass.) took the loss for Westfield in 2.2 innings.  

Westfield State (3-14, 0-4 MASCAC) will look to snap a six-game losing streak and get in the win column on Tuesday as they host Fitchburg State for a MASCAC doubleheader beginning at 1:00 P.M. from Hagan Field in Westfield, Mass. Worcester State (5-8, 3-0 MASCAC) will host Framingham State for a doubleheader on Tuesday at 2:00 P.M.