After Long Wait, Baseball Drop a Pair to Framingham State

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The MCLA Baseball team welcomed Framingham State to Joe Wolfe Field this afternoon for a MASCAC doubleheader. Or we should say that MCLA Baseball welcomed Framingham State back to Joe Wolfe Field this afternoon for the completion of their MASCAC doubleheader. Following a delay of approximately 11,475 minutes, the Trailblazers and Rams finally returned to the field. Framingham first baseman Daniel Robichaud hit two home runs in the two games, including a grand slam in game number two, as the Rams finished a three-game season series sweep over the Trailblazers.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2024 / Thursday, May 2, 2024
• Game #1: Framingham State 8, MCLA 4
• Game #2: Framingham State 9, MCLA 3
• Records: Framingham State Rams 15-16 (MASCAC 13-5) | MCLA Trailblazers 5-28 (MASCAC 2-16)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Game #1
  • When the umpires called an end to the festivities on April 24^th, Framingham State held a 1-0 and the game was put on pause due to a torrential downpour with MCLA's Ty Mazzeo at the plate with a 1-2 count. After the game was again postponed due to rain overnight ahead of the first planned resumption on Saturday, the teams returned to Joe Wolfe Field, with Edison Galan taking Mazzeo's place at the plate. Galan worked the remainder of the at-bat to earn a leadoff walk, which he turned into a double by stealing second base. Two batters later, Justin Hernandez walked, and two batters after that, Joshua Bissaillon brought both runners home with a lined double into the right-center field gap.
  • The Rams responded with a run of their own in the top of the fourth inning when Cameron Gilroy scored Daniel Robichaud from first base with a double to right-center. After the teams traded scoreless frames, the Trailblazers retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Clarence Givhans led off with a single down the rightfield line and was advanced to second base by Hernandez's sacrifice bunt before scoring on Chris Vargas' single down the rightfield line.
  • The lead had a short shelf life because the visitors responded with three runs on four hits in the top half of the sixth to take a 5-3 lead. The Trailblazers cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning when Hernandez singled to rightfield to score Brady Hamel who had started things with a one-out single before moving to second on Galan's walk.
  • The visitors rallied back, scoring three runs on a home run by Robichaud to set the final score at 8-4.
  • Brady Perkins threw two innings on April 24^th and then added 4.1 more innings today to earn his second win of the year, improving to 2-0. Peter Moniz got the final two outs to pick up his first save of the season. Rob Correia struck out eight while going the distance for MCLA but still saw his record fall to 1-3.
• Game #2
  • Framingham scored first in the second game, plating a run on a double by Robichaud in the second and then adding two more runs on a two-run dinger by Lucas Basile in the third.
  • In the fifth inning, the Trailblazers scored their first run of the second game, with Mazzeo coming all the way around to score on a series of errors by the Rams on his steal of second base after singling up the middle and nearly taking the head off the FSU pitcher. With two outs and Galan at the plate, Mazzeo took off on a 1-0 pitch that was then airmailed by the catcher into centerfield. As the centerfielder attempted to field the ball it skipped under his glove, allowing Mazzeo to complete the circuit and cutting the Ram's edge to 3-1.
  • Following a scoreless sixth inning, FSU scored a large, crooked number in the top of the seventh inning, scoring six runs on four hits, capped off by a two-out grand slam from Robichaud.
  • MCLA didn't roll over despite the new 9-1 deficit. Henry Blake started the inning with a single back through the box. Mazzeo then singled to right, with both runners taking an extra 90 feet thanks to an error by the right fielder. Givhans got an RBI on his ground out to second that scored Blake, and then Galan brought Mazzeo home with a sacrifice fly to center field.
  • Already warm from picking up the save in game one, Moniz took over with a runner on and no outs in the second inning of game number two before scattering five MCLA hits over six innings to up his record to 2-0. Aiden Brett allowed three runs, two earned, over six innings but was saddled with the loss to fall to 0-5.

UP NEXT:

On Friday, MCLA will be back in action when they play host to Salem State for a MASCAC matchup with the Vikings at Bobby Coombs Field on the campus of Williams College. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.

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