SALEM – Logan Sullo (Acushnet, Mass.) went 3-for-4 with a home run, double and two RBI as No. 2 seed Mass Maritime rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the eighth inning to eliminate No. 4 seed Westfield State 6-3 to advance to the championship round of the 2016 MASCAC Postseason Baseball Tournament.
Sullo put Mass Maritime (22-14) ahead with a solo home run in the bottom of the first. However, Westfield State came right back and loaded the bases in the top of the second. Stephen Brown (Harwich, Mass.) and Nate Barnes (Westfield, Mass.) led off with back-to-back hits. With one out Tyler Beach (Quincy, Mass.) walked to load the bases and Christian Morales singled through the right side to tie the game 1-1. Buccaneers starter Alex Rozak (Plymouth, Mass.) avoided further damage as he retired the next two batters to keep the game tied.
Christian Morales drove in a run for Westfield State Saturday vs. Mass Maritime. (File Photo)
The Owls loaded the bases again in the fourth as Barnes led off with a single. Dan Whigam (Barre, Mass.) walked and Beach laid down a bunt base hit. After a flyout, poor base running by the Owls ended the threat as Whigam was doubled off second following a line out to left field.
Westfield State grabbed the lead 2-1 in the top of the fifth. Tyler Adams (West Barnstable, Mass.) singled up the middle with one out. A fielder’s choice and throwing error put runners on second and third to set up a sacrifice fly by Brown.
Singles by Barnes and Beach in the sixth helped the Owls take a 3-1 advantage as Christian Morales (Peabody, Mass.) plated Barnes with an RBI groundout.
Meanwhile, Justin Thompson (Yarmouth Port, Mass) retired the side in order in the third through fifth innings until Sullo singled with two outs in the sixth.
Justin Nichols (Adams, Mass.) relieved Rozak in the top of the seventh. Rozak went six complete, allowing three runs (two earned) with two strikeouts and two walks. Nichols and Kyle Kennedy (Woodbury, Conn.) who entered the game on the mound for Mass Maritime in the eighth did not allow a run over the final three innings.
The Buccaneers rallied in the bottom of the eighth as William Keane (Braintree, Mass.) and Kennedy reached base with hits. A sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third before Sullo drove a double to left center to draw Mass Maritime to within 3-2.
Pete Liimatainen (West Barnstable, Mass.) replaced Thompson and gave up a two-run single to Cobie Gerbis (Holes Beach, Fla.) for a 4-3 lead. A squeeze bunt by Paul Sances (Middleboro, Mass.) produced two more runs as the throw to first sailed into right field.
Thompson (0-3) took the loss allowing six runs (five earned) with five strikeouts and two walks. Kennedy (4-1) picked up the win, throwing two shutout innings while allowing just a hit with two strikeouts.
Beach went 3-for-3 for the Owls, who conclude their season with a 20-20 record. – Story courtesy of Salem State Sports Information
