Westfield’s Tyler Adams scores on a sacrifice fly in the second inning. (Photo by Mickey Curtis)
WESTFIELD – Mike Massaro rapped a two-run single in the top of the 11th inning, and Tyler Vieira pitched three innings of effective relief to lead Coast Guard Academy to a 9-7 extra-inning victory over Westfield State University on Monday.
The Bears boosted their record to 15-10; Westfield is 9-10.
Nolan Gallagher led off the top of the 11th with a single to left-center and Ed Sella reached safely on a sacrifice bunt throwing error. A balk moved the runners up a base then Massaro delivered his game-winning hit down the rightfield line.
Viera entered the game to start the ninth and threw three innings of shutout ball. The senior sidewinder allowed one hit and no walks and struck out four.
Also delivering a big hit for the was Tyler Babkiewich, who stroked a two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning to give Coast Guard a 7-6 lead. Westfield tied the score in the home half of the eighth on Dan Rokitowki’s two-out RBI double over the left fielder’s head.
Westfield took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Pat McWilliams doubled and scored on an infield throwing error. Later in the inning Jeremy Tanguay had a sacrifice fly.
Coast Guard scored four runs in the third on four hits, including a two-run triple by Gallagher. Sella and Cameron Carroll followed with RBI singles.
The Owls scored a run in the fifth when Kevin Greene singled and scored on Andrew Medeiros’ double. Coast Guard countered with a run in the seventh when Babkiewich walked, moved to second on a sac hit, and scored on Sella’s single up the middle.
Westfield scored three runs on only two hits in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead. The Owls were aided by two fielding errors, a balk, and a wild pitch that scored a run.
Coast Guard outhit Westfield, 14-11. Babkiewich, Gallagher, Massaro and Lucas Laplante each had two hits for the winners. Pat McWilliams and Rokitowski were both 2 for 5 with a double and RBI for the Owls. Greene and Evan Moorhouse each had two singles.
