Westfield State Frustrates Baseball, Take Both Ends of Doubleheader

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The MCLA Baseball team welcomed Westfield State to Joe Wolfe Field this afternoon for a MASCAC doubleheader. The first game started as a slugfest with the teams combining for 22 runs through two and a half innings before the Owls held on for a 15-11 win. The Westfield State offense continued hitting into the second game before MCLA mounted a late rally in a 13-3 Owl victory.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Tuesday, April 23, 2024
• Game #1: Westfield State 15, MCLA 11
• Game #2: Westfield State 15, MCLA 11
• Records: Westfield State Owls 22-11 (MASCAC 10-5) | MCLA Trailblazers 5-23 (MASCAC 2-11)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Game #1
  • Westfield State's offense started early, with the team scoring their first run only two batters into the game when Justin Neidel followed Sam Palmer's leadoff double with a single through the right side of the infield for an RBI. Before the first MCLA batter got into the box, the Owls had plated eight runs on nine hits.
  • Despite those long odds, the Traiblazers didn't relent. Responding with six runs on seven hits in their half of the frame. MCLA matched Westfield's opening run with Justin Hernandez following Ty Mazzeo's leadoff double with an RBI single. Clarence Givhans walked, and Jayco Pena singled down the right field line to load the bases for Chris Vargas. Vargas was able to lift a high fly to right center field to plate Hernandez. After Joshua Bissaillon reached on an infield single to reload the bases, Matthew Castillo took the baton and singled through the left side forcing home Givhans. Henry Blake then continued the hit parade with a single back through the middle to bring Pena around. Two batters later Mazzeo capped the scoring with an RBI single through the right side to score Bissaillon, and Castillo scampered home when the right fielder misplayed the ball for an error and bringing the Trailblazers to within a pair.
  • Westfield expended their lead with three more runs in the top of the second inning behind a two-run double by Palmer and a sacrifice fly by Niedel.
  • In the bottom of the second, MCLA got back to within a run by scoring four runs on four hits. Givhans and Vargas sandwiched singles to right field around a walk by Pena to load the bases and chasing Owls' starter Sean McNamara from the game. Bissaillon gave reliever Sean Casey a rude welcome by singling through the five and a half hole to score Givhans. Two batters later Henry Blake scored Pena and Vargas with a single back through the middle. Jacob Morren then reached on error when the Westfield first baseman lost the handle on the line drive to his glove side. Bissaillon the completed his circuit, scoring on Mazzeo's fielder's choice to short, completing the inning trailing 11-10.
  • The Owls then sandwiched one-run innings around a one-run Trailblazers inning. An RBI single by Robison Guerrero Baez brought one in for Westfield in the third, and a sacrifice fly by Thomas LaSpada scored the run in the fifth. The MCLA run came on an RBI single by Blake.
  • A two-run homerun by LaSpada in the top of the seventh set what would be the final score of 15-11.
  • Casey struck out five in three innings of relief to pick up his third win of the season, upping his record to 3-0. Nate Morse took the loss for the Trailblazers, dropping his record to 1-5.
• Game #2
  • The Westfield offense stayed on pace in the second game, scoring 12 runs in the first four innings, propelled by five runs in the third and six runs in the fourth. The Owls added one additional run in the top of the seventh.
  • MCLA did mount a mini-rally in the bottom of the seventh, breaking through for three runs on a two-run double by Matt Damon and an RBI fielder's choice by Hernandez.
  • Joe Espinola went the first five innings, striking out four while only allowing two hits to earn his second win of the season. Jaden Palumbo was saddled with the loss, falling to 0-2.

UP NEXT:

On Wednesday, MCLA will be back in action when they play host to Framingham State for a MASCAC double header with the Rams at Joe Wolfe Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.

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