Game One: Fitchburg State 15 Ð Westfield State 6
Game Two: Westfield State 3 Ð Fitchburg State 1
WESTFIELD Ð Fitchburg State and Westfield State split a baseball doubleheader in the Mass. State Conference opening games on April 9.
Fitchburg (6-9, 1-1) took the opener, 15-6, as it exploded for 11 runs in the fourth inning. Westfield (8-10, 1-1) earned a split with a 3-1 victory in the well-played nightcap.
In the opener, the Falcons snapped a 1-1 deadlock by scoring its 11 runs on nine hits and four Westfield errors. The Owls mounted a mini-rally with a five-run uprising in the fifth.
Leadoff batter Dustin Fredieu was 3 for 4 with a double, triple and two RBI. Catcher Jeff Paquette (Billerica) was 3 for 5 with a double and four RBI and shortstop Ray Richards was 3 for 5 with a double and two RBI.
Westfield second baseman Justin Parr (North Attleboro) was 2 for 2 with a double and two runs scored. Pat Jaehnig (North Quincy) belted a two-run double.
In the nightcap, Fitchburg senior pitcher Rick Terry (Amesbury) was hurling hitless ball through four and two-thirds innings when Westfield sophomore Jay Hardell (Brooklyn, CT) tied the score with an opposite field solo home run over the rightfield fence.
The Owls scored twice in the bottom of the sixth. Parr led off with a bunt single and was sacrificed to second by Troy Ferguson. Sophomore Jay Brown (East Windsor, CT) then delivered the game-winning hit when he plated Parr with a single down the leftfield line. The Owls added an insurance run when senior Matt Gurley (Brockton) blasted an RBI double.
Joe DelSoldato (West Stockbridge) was the winning pitcher. The junior lefty allowed four hits and three walks and struck out three. Freshman Russ Lloyd (Palmer) pitched the final inning to earn the save.
Terry threw a complete game, allowing five hits, all in the final inning and a third. He walked two and whiffed two.
Troy DiMauro (Foxboro) tripled for one of FitchburgÕs four hits.