Fitchburg State Sweeps Day Three Doubleheader

Falcons down Steven, 7-4 in game one; post 14-8 victory in game two

AUBURNDALE, Fla. (March 16, 2010) – The Fitchburg State baseball team got back on the winning track today, taking a pair of victories from Stevens Tech and McDaniel College. The Falcons boasted a 7-4 victory over Stevens in game one before downing McDaniel, 14-8 in game two.

Fitchburg State 7, Stevens Tech 4

NICK RYAN

Senior Nick Ryan (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) led Fitchburg State to its first victory of the season, tossing six innings of three-run baseball. Ryan was solid on the mound for the Falcons, scattering eight hits and two walks while striking out five. Classmate Matt Morrison (Beverly, Mass./Bishop Fenwick) also notched two, solid innings of relief, while sophomore Michal Mercier (Townsend, Mass./Saint Bernards) earned his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

Freshman Cody Bamforth (Vernon, Conn./Rockville) sparked the Falcons 12-hit attack, recording a 2-for-5 performance with a homerun (2), one run scored and two RBI. Junior John Phelan (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) continued his hot streak with a 3-for-5 day, notching a double and two runs scored, while sophomore Andrew Foster (E. Bridgewater, Mass./E. Bridgewater) added a pair of hits, including a double and one run scored.

Fitchburg State opened the scoring first, touching for one run in the top of the second inning. Bamforth got the Falcons rolling with his second homerun of the season as the freshman outfielder lace a towering drive over the left-center field wall.

In the fourth, the Falcons continued their offensive pursuit, tacking on four runs with three hits and two Duck errors. Foster kick-started the Fitchburg State surge with a double down the left-field line, before Mercier singled him home with a base-hit through the right-side. The Falcons extended their rally with a bunt single by Phelan, while Stevens Tech allowed two unearned runs to score later in the inning.  

Fitchburg State led by as much as five (7-2) as Bamforth struck again with an RBI single in the sixth frame, but Stevens Tech threatened late in the game, posing a bases-loaded, one-out spot in the bottom of the eighth. Morrison quickly quieted the Ducks bats, recording a strikeout and infield pop-up to retire the side, while Mercier worked a hitless ninth to close the door.

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Fitchburg State 14, McDaniel 8

In the nightcap, Fitchburg State used a 17-hit attack to collect its second victory of the day with a 14-8 win over McDaniel.

BRIAN WARE

In a game that witnessed five lead changes and two ties, Fitchburg State finally broke open a close-knit, 6-6 contest, exploding for eight runs over the seventh and eighth innings to grab a commanding 14-7 lead. Junior Brian Ware (Beverly, Mass./Beverly) sparked the Falcons off the bench, posting a pair of hits, two runs scored and the game-winning RBI in the seventh, while classmate Ricky Graham (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) finished 3-for-4 a triple, two runs scored and one RBI.

McDaniel jumped out to quick 3-0 lead over the first two innings of play, but the Falcons quickly rebounded, knotting the score at 3-3 in the third inning. Phelan gave the Falcons its first lead of the contest in the fourth inning as he laced a single to plate Mercier. In the fifth, Mercier padded Fitchburg State’s lead with an RBI double off the centerfield wall, before scoring on Phelan’s second RBI hit of the contest.

The Falcons continued to seal their fate in the seventh inning as they rifled off five runs throughout the frame. Graham and junior Erik DiMauro (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) ignited the Falcons offensive surge with back-to-back hits, before Phelan and Foster combined for consecutive RBI base-knocks.

In the eighth Fitchburg State extended its margin, adding three more runs with a trio of hits. Sophomore Bobby Ewing (South Dennis, Mass./South-Dennis) propelled the Falcons with a pair of RBI and a base-hit to right center, while Ware and Nick Rocheleau (Leominster, Mass./Leominster) scorched a single to left center and right center respectively.

On the hill, senior starter Marshall Miller (Greenfield, Mass./Greenfield) earned a no decision, tossing the five innings while allowing only five runs on five hits and striking out three. Freshman Randy Ortiz (Danielson, Conn./Killingly) earned the victory in relief, hurling the last three innings of the contest with only two runs allowed and three K’s.

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Fitchburg State (2-4, 0-0 MASCAC) returns to action tomorrow as it battles Curry College in a doubleheader starting at 1:30 p.m.