MCLA snaps slide in split with Owls
North Adams. MA- The MCLA Trailblazers and Westfield State Owls split a twinbill this afternoon in MASCAC action. MCLA took the opener 4-2 before the Owls snatched game two 7-5 in 12 innings. With the split, the Trailblazers are 3-22 overall, 2-10 in the MASCAC. Westfield improves to 14-17 overall, 7-5 in conference play.
The nightcap saw a bit of everything. Westfield was up 2-0 after two innings before the host Trailblazers scored four times in the fourth inning to take a 4-2 advantage. Three of the runs scored were unearned. Joe Duncan, Mike Sullivan, and JT Ferraro had RBI hits in the frame.
The Owls were grab the advantage back in the 5th on a RBI double from Tim Santilli and an RBI groundout from Kyle Colesanti. MCLA went ahead in the bottom half on Ferraro's second RBI hit of the game, before the Owls would push across the equalizer in the 6th on Andrew Medeiros' two out single.
From there, it became a battle of the bullpens as MCLA's Jared Gersch and Westfield's John Silva kept zeroes on the board. Each team had plenty of opportunities to grab the lead in the extra frames, but each defense held firm. Colesanti made a tremendous diving stab in the 10th inning and MCLA squandered a golden chance in the 11th.
Follow consecutive singles and a sacrifice bunt, MCLA put runners on 2nd and 3rd with just one out. Following an intentional pass to Ferraro that loaded the bases, Westfield's Peter Liimatainen entered and struck out the next two Trailblazers to preserve the tie.
In the top of the 12th, Gersch finally tired for MCLA as he walked the first two hitters. After a sacrifice bunt moved them up, Dan Rokitowski laced a two run double off Trailblazer reliever Nate Alibozek to push Westfield ahead. Liimatainen sent the Trailblazers down in order in the 12th to nail down the win.
Liimatainen earned the win to improve to 2-2 on the season. Silva went 6 2/3 innings out of the pen and allowed just 5 hits and 1 run. Gersch went six innings for MCLA, yielding just 4 hits, but did allow 7 free passes. He fell to 0-2 on the season.
Rokitowski had a pair of hits as did Matt Ferrelli for Westfield. Sullivan had four safeties for MCLA and Ferraro added three.
In the opener, the game was scoreless after three innings. MCLA would jump ahead scoring three runs in the 4th to take a 3-0 edge. Sean Coyle provided the key hit with a two run double to center field. In the 5th, Duncan led off with a walk and promptly stole second base. He would come around to make the score 4-0 on an RBI single from Chase Preite.
The lead would hold up until the 7th inning when the Owls mounted a rally. Two walks sandwiched a Jeremy Tanguay single to load the bases with nobody out against MCLA's Cody Weaver. An error scored a run and put the tying run on first base with still no one out.
Weaver would get Dan Rokitowski to fly out to center field and Medeiros lifted a sacrifice fly for the second run of the frame. Weaver would bear down though and strike out Kevin Greene to end the game.
Weaver went four innings in relief of Ross Miner to earn the win. He allowed four hits and struck out four. Mike Sullivan absorbed the setback for Westfield after allowing 7 hits in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Preite led MCLA with three hits in the opener.
MCLA is back in action on Thursday when they host Elms College.