Corsairs Fall in Doubleheader Action at Bridgewater State

 BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Some late-game heroics from the side of Bridgewater State led them to two close victories over UMass Dartmouth baseball in double-header action on Saturday. The Corsairs slip to 9-3 after falling short, 6-3 in game one and 6-5 in game two against the Bears, who advance to 7-2. 

After UMass Dartmouth evened the contest at 3-3 in the top of the sixth inning, Bridgewater State knocked home three runs in the bottom of the frame to lift them over the Corsairs in game one. 
 
UMD trailed 3-1 as they approached the plate in the top of the sixth inning. Grad student Chase Stafford led off and reached first on a fielding error by the Bears' second baseman. After Andrew Bryant (senior) struck out, senior DJ Perron walked to the plate and cranked his seventh home run of the season, bringing the equalizing the contest at 3-3. 
 
Leading off the bottom of the sixth for Bridgewater was senior Joey Molis who doubled to center field. He was followed up by freshman Dan Jasmin who found the gap in right center for a triple and an RBI. Junior Kyle Suraci came in as a pinch hitter and was walked. Jasmin scored the Bears' fifth run of the game on a sacrifice bunt by senior Matthew Pigeon to go up two. Bridgewater's lead was stretched one more time when junior Kevin Lindsay singled, bringing home Suraci and putting the Bears up, 6-3 going into the seventh and final inning of game one. 
 
Remaining on the mound for Bridgewater for the seventh was grad student Matt Josselyn, he would earn the win and pitch the complete game. Josselyn's success continued as he shut down the Corsairs' hopes of rallying in the final inning. He retired three of the four batters he faced, allowing just one UMD batter to get on base in Jared Neikam (Junior) who was walked. UMD fell to BSU, 6-3 in game one of the double-header. 
 
The Corsairs saw Perron go 2-for-3 with two RBI's including a two-run homer that evened the game in the fifth inning. Senior Adam Horowitz went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk. Senior Ryan Qualey (0-1) started on the mound and pitched 5.2 innings, allowed six hits and four earned runs as he was handed his first loss of the season. 
For Bridgewater, junior Jay Wladkowski led the way with two hits and two RBI's. Jasmin went 1-3 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored. Lindsay scored two runs on one hit and a walk. Josselyn (2-1) pitched the entire way for the Bears, he allowed four hits, two earned runs, and struck out eight enroute to his second win of the year. 
 
The Corsairs led game two, 5-0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, when Bridgewater State rallied six straight runs to complete the comeback victory over UMD. BSU's run began with their sophomore, Scott Emmerson, who singled to center and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Wladkowski knocked him home with a single of his own. Molis was hit by a pitch, and Jasmin walked, loading up the bases for Bridgewater with no outs. Sophomore Andrew Steinhubel came in to pitch for the Corsairs in a tough spot. He struck out the first batter he faced, before a wild pitch during the next at-bat advanced all runners and one run scored. The bases loaded up once again when freshman Riley Thornell was walked. Molis scored off a sac fly off the bat of freshman Nolan DeAndrade to cut the Corsairs lead down to two, 5-3. 
 
With two outs and runners on first and second, the Bears continued their rally with a pinch-hit single and RBI from freshman Joshua Selander. An error on the play advanced Thornell to third and Selander to second. With the Bears still threatening, the Corsairs held a one-run lead with two outs, before a single to left field from Lindsay scored two runs, giving Bridgewater its first lead of the game at 6-5. 
 
UMD had another chance to get their lead back in the seventh. Junior Matt Tempone led off the inning and was hit by a pitch. Horowitz was brought out to pinch run for Tempone. Junior Andrew Possi reached first base on an infield off a sac-bunt attempt, but Horowitz was tagged out at third on the play. Junior T.J. Keefe was walked to put runners on first and second with one out, trailing by just one. The next two batters for the Corsairs were struck out by Bridgewater State senior Tyler Dasilva-Medeiros, who took the mound in the seventh inning and earned the save, as BSU went 2-0 on the day with the 6-5 victory. 
 
Starting on the mound for UMass Dartmouth in game two was sophomore Adam Maher, who pitched five innings and allowed four hits and four runs. The loss would be shouldered by Steinhubel (3-1), who pitched one inning and allowed two runs on two hits. From the plate, the Corsairs were led by Bryant who went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Stafford went 1-for-2 with two RBI's, a walk and a run scored. Cromack went 1-for-3 with an RBI and crossed home twice. 

Bridgewater was led by Wladkowski who went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Lindsay went 1-for-3 and batted in two runs. Grad student David Kerns started on the mound for the Bears and pitched 5.2 innings. He allowed eight hits and five runs and struck out seven. Sophomore Shane Handrahan (2-0) retired the final batter of the sixth inning, which was all the work he needed to secure his second win of the season. Dasilva-Medeiros secured his second save of the season.

UMass Dartmouth returns to action on Tuesday as their road trip continues, this time at Wheaton College. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 PM.