Trailblazers a sweep of MASCAC rival Westfield State College
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Greeley got things started in game 1 by throwing 5 and one-third innings, allowing 6 hits and 4 runs (2 earned). Westfield would get a run in the first on a single by Brad King (Perth, Ontario) leading off the game; after a sacrifice moved King to second, Jeff Fields (Pittsfield, MA) singled to center scoring King. Ben Campbell (Easthampton, MA) followed with a single and one out later both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Greeley would avoid further damage though by getting Pete Hogan (Weymouth, MA) to ground out to first with the bases loaded.
MCLA responded in the bottom of the first scoring two; the first coming off a Cory Burtman (Norwood, MA) RBI single scoring John Ripepi (Amsterdam, NY). The second run came a little more unconventionally, with Burtman on second via a stolen base, Joe Parillo (West Springfield, MA) struck out but reached first when the ball got by Hogan, Burtman went to third. With first and third Parillo got picked off first base and got caught in a rundown, Burtman broke for home beating the throw from Fields and Parillo took second for a delayed double steal.
MCLA had 5-1 lead going into the 5th when some shoddy defense (MCLA had 5 errors in game 1) put Greeley in trouble. Hogan came up with two already in and Alex Xiarhos (Yarmouth Port, MA) on first courtesy of an infield single, but Hogan hit a little flair that Ripepi made a nice diving snag on.
The Trailblazers found themselves in trouble again in the sixth; with a run already in and one out and one on, Trailblazers manager Jeff Puleri called for his closer Andrew Gaines (Holyoke, MA) to protect the one run lead. Gaines hit the first batter he saw Ben Wagner (Cumberland, RI) putting runners on first and second, but got Fields to line out to center and Campbell popped to second to end the rally. Gaines retired the side in order in seventh to give him his 5th save of the year and his first of two on the afternoon.
Greeley picked up his 4th win of the year and Jeff Vermeersch (Marlboro, MA) suffered his 1st loss of the season. King had two hits for the Owls (14-11, 2-6) and Trailblazers catcher Ken Recore (Averill Park, NY) had a double, and RBI and a run scored.
Game two for the Trailblazers was almost a carbon copy of game one. The Trailblazers got good pitching from Cyrus Curtis, the defense was a little better (although the lone Westfield run was unearned) and though the Trailblazers didn’t hit a ton, they had some timely hitting that gave them the big inning when they needed it.
The game was scoreless until the top of the fourth, things got a little strange when a hit, an error on Curtis on a sacrifice and another sacrifice put Owls on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Jeff Ackerman (Beverly, MA) hit a routine grounder to short, Xiarhos broke for 3rd, but Campbell stayed didn’t run however Ripepi never saw the two Owls and threw to first to get the out on Ackerman; with Xiarhos standing on third, Campbell broke for home on the throw. MCLA 1st baseman Joe Harrington (Pittsfield, MA) recorded the out at first and made a string throw to the plate; however the umpire called Campbell safe on a very close play giving the owls the lead 1-0. With a run in and Mike Trachtenberg (Newton, MA) at the plate Curtis uncorked a wild pitch and Xiarhos tried to score, however Recore made a quick recovery and fired to Curtis covering the plate to cut down Xiarhos and end the inning.
The Trailblazers, like earlier in the day responded immediately in their half with two runs of their own off Westfield starter Steve Sullivan (Quincy, MA). Ripepi walked, Rick Massey (Pittsfield, MA) had a bunt single and Derek Gibbons (Rochester, MA) walked to load the bases. Paul Procopio (Pittsfield, MA) came up with a big two out single to left scoring Ripepi and Massey to give MCLA (14-7, 6-2) the lead for good. MCLA would add runs in the sixth on a pair of sacrifice flies by Gibbons and Harrington and Gaines would shut it down again for his conference leading 6th save of the season. Curtis pitched very well to run his record to 4-1; Sullivan took the loss for Westfield State.
Westfield will host Keene State on Thursday at 3:30 and MCLA will travel to Western New England College on Thursday also at 3:30pm.
