AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Amherst College rolled to a double header sweep (17-4, 9-2) over the Westfield State University baseball team on Sunday, March 17.
The Owls are 3-4 after sustaining their fourth straight loss. Amherst improved to 2-1; the Lord Jeffs dropped their season opener to Western New England University (ranked 15 nationally), 7-5, yesterday.
In the opener, Westfield took an early 3-1 lead. Freshman second baseman Tyler Adams slugged an RBI triple in the first inning for the Owls.
In the third inning, senior right fielder Andrew Medeiros reached safely on a two-out bunt single and scored on triple by sophomore left fielder Mike Molta. Freshman catcher E.G. McMillan plated Molta with a single.
Amherst broke open the game with six runs in the fourth, four in the fifth and six more in the sixth.
Adams and Molta were both 2 for 3 in the Owls’ nine-hit attack. Adams also doubled.
In the second game, Amherst scored five unearned runs in the second inning and tacked on four more runs in the sixth. Westfield scored in the bottom of the second on a two-run double by freshman third baseman Joe Alibrandi.
Westfield was outhit, 10-6. No player had multiple hits for the Owls.
Westfield concludes its Florida trip on Monday afternoon when it plays Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf from Washington, D.C. Gallaudet is coached by former major league outfielder Curtis Pride.
Saturday, March 16
Suffolk 15, WSU 4
Suffolk University rolled to a 15-4 victory over the Westfield State University baseball team on Saturday, March 16.
Suffolk concluded its Florida trip with a 7-1 record. Westfield is 3-2 and has four games remaining in Florida – double headers vs. Amherst (Sunday) and Gallaudet (Monday).
Suffolk, which scored 89 runs in its first eight games, scored runs in all seven innings vs. Westfield. Leading 2-1, Suffolk began pulling away with a four-run uprising in the top of the third inning.
The Owls were outhit, 16-8, and no player had more than one hit. Doubling were senior Kevin Greene and freshman D.J. Bishop and Evan Moorhouse.
Tommy Nowlan was the losing pitcher.
Friday, March 15
WSU 9, Roger Williams; Roger Williams 3, WSU 1
The Westfield State University baseball team split a double header with Roger Williams University on Friday, March 15, at Chain of Lakes Park.
The bat (grand slam homer) and arm of Andrew Medeiros led the Owls to a 9-8 victory in the opener. Roger Williams held on for a 3-1 victory in the nightcap.
In the first game, Roger Williams scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 6-5 lead, but Westfield regained the lead for good on Medeiros’ mammoth bases-clearing homer in the sixth inning.
The Owls loaded the bases on singles by hot-hitting Dan Rokitowski, Mike Molta and Kevin Greene. Medeiros then drove a 1-0 pitch deep over the left field fence, into the wind, for his dramatic circuit shot.
In the bottom of the sixth, Roger Williams closed to within a run, 9-8, on Jamie Timothy’s bad-hop two-run single over Rokitowski’s head at first base. Timothy tried to stretch the hit into a double but Medeiros, playing right field, easily gunned him down for the second out.
Kevin Zyrkowski pitched two complete innings for the pitching save. Starter Mike Sullivan was credited with the victory.
Westfield outhit Roger Williams, 15-11. Rokitowski was 4 for 5 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored and Greene was 2 for 4 with a double and RBI. Medeiros was 2 for 4 with his big 4 RBI. Tyler Adams was 2 for 2 with two runs scored.
The second game was lengthy (two hours, 30 minutes) with the teams stranding 24 runners. Roger Williams left 14 runners on base in the seven-inning game, but it finally came up with the big hit in the top of the sixth inning on a two-run double to deep center field following a hit batter and walk.
An Owls’ comeback fell just short in the bottom of the seventh. Rokitowski and Molta rapped one-out singles. Greene smashed a grounder just inside foul line but the third baseman made a spectacular diving grab to rob Greene of a double and get the force out at third base. Medeiros struck out swinging to end the game.
Both teams had nine hits, with Westfield’s 2-3-4 batters rapping seven of the safeties. Greene was 2 for 4 with a double and Molta was 3 for 4 with a double. Rokitowski was 2 for 3, giving him six hits in the twinbill.
SOFTBALL
WSU 3, Rhode Island 0; Bates College 4, Rhode Island 3
CLERMONT, Fla. – The Westfield State University softball team concluded its southern trip by splitting a pair of games of Friday. Westfield blanked Rhode Island College, 3-0, and suffered a tough 4-3 setback to Bates College.
In the first game, Westfield received a solid shutout pitching performance from Kelley Fluet, who struck out five and allowed six hits and two walks.
Westfield scored two runs in the first inning on an infield throwing error. The Owls tacked on an insurance run in their final at bat on an RBI single by freshman third baseman Kate Woishnis, who had four hits on the day.
No Owl had more than one hit in the opener. Breanne Biseglia doubled off the outfield fence in the two-run first inning.
In the second game, Bates rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for the 4-3 comeback victory.
Bates collected five of its nine hits in the seventh. With two outs, the bases loaded and the score 3-2, Bates’ Caroline Gattuso lined a hit to Westfield right fielder Courtney Begin. Gattuso beat Begin’s force out throw attempt to first base by a half step that would have ended the game, and the runners who were at second and third crossed the plate for the tying and winning runs.
Westfield rapped 11 hits but also totaled 11 strikeouts. Woishnis was 3 for 3 and Celina Sinico smacked an RBI double in the first inning. Begin was 2 for 4 and drove in a run in Westfield’s two-run second inning.
Emily Mailloux sustained the tough mound setback. She fanned four and issued a walk.
