BUZZARDS BAY — There’s an old saying in baseball that walks will kill you every time.
Thus was the case Friday afternoon at Commodore Hendy Field as the host Massachusetts Maritime Academy baseball team fell in the MASCAC (double-elimination) playoffs second round to Framingham State, 6-3.
Massachusetts Maritime’s Everett Walsh started a three-run rally that tied the game for the Bucs at 3-3, but the visiting Framingham State Rams prevailed, 6-3 in the MASCAC playoffs Friday. MMA returns today at 9:30 am, facing elimination.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports Photos
In spite of striking out a combined 15 batters in the loss, the Buccaneers’ pitching staff allowed six free passes and Framingham State capitalized on virtually each one.
On the heels of eliminating Westfield State Wednesday from postseason contention, the Rams received a three-RBI game from junior R.J. Gray (Lowell, Mass.) and righty Mike Andrews (Stoneham, Mass.) turned in a complete-game effort on the mound as the fourth-seeded visitors rolled to a 6-3 victory. The top-seeded Massachusetts Maritime squad returns today (Saturday, May 2) at 9:30 am and needs a win or the Buccaneers’ season will end. This is the first time in school history that the Buccaneers have earned the right to stage the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Championship.
The visiting Rams, who improve to 26-16 overall on the season, advance in the winner’s bracket and will take on second-seeded Salem State (23-12) Saturday afternoon at 12:30 p.m., as the Vikings notched a 6-0 triumph over third-seeded Worcester State (24-15) in Friday’s other second round contest played at Alumni Field in Salem, Mass. The host Buccaneers, who fall to 17-11 overall with the setback, will entertain the Lancers in an elimination game on Saturday morning beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Framingham State grabbed a 2-0 second inning lead on an RBI double by freshman Jordan Pallazola (Rockport, Mass.) and a sacrifice fly by Gray, who extended that margin to 3-0 in the fourth with a run-scoring single. Massachusetts Maritime evened matters with a three-run rally in the bottom of the fourth, as junior Everett Walsh (Marstons Mills, Mass.) doubled and scored on a one-out error before freshman William Keane (Braintree, Mass.) plated the second Buccaneer tally with an RBI two-bagger. Fellow freshman Tyler Chaisson (Newburyport, Mass.) tied the game with a single that scored Keane, but the Rams answered back with a three-run rally of their own in the fifth, as all of the runs came with two outs. Singles by seniors Ivan Colon (Waltham, Mass.) and Billy Derosier (Shrewsbury, Mass.) sandwiched a walk to senior Mark Mainini (Hull, Mass.), and a bases-loaded walk to senior John Gill (Hudson, Mass.) plated the go-ahead run. Pallazola followed with a bases-loaded walk on another 3-2 pitch that gave the visitors a two-run cushion, as Gray’s infield single capped the rally and accounted for the final score.
Andrews allowed eight hits and just one earned run while striking out seven in going the distance for Framingham State, as he threw 85 of his 131 pitches for strikes in improving to 5-4 on the season. Junior Jake Wardwell (Hudson, Mass.) paced a 10-hit Rams’ attack by going 3-for-4 on the afternoon, while Gray collected two hits as well for the winners. Keane rapped out two of Massachusetts Maritime’s eight hits in the setback, as both he and senior Bobby Rosano (North Reading, Mass.) joined Walsh with doubles on the day. Junior Kevin Kwedor (Marshfield, Mass.) allowed six hits and walked four while striking out seven in falling to 6-3 on the mound for the Buccaneers, while senior Zac Cooney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) fanned eight in a 4 1/3 relief innings for the hosts.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy senior righty Zac Cooney pitched exceptionally well Friday in relief, but Framingham State prevailed, 6-3.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports Photos
The remaining schedule for the 2015 MASCAC Baseball Championships is as follows:
Thursday, April 30 – Single Elimination Round
Game #1: #4 Framingham State 5, #5 Westfield State 1
Game #2: #3 Worcester State 7, #6 Fitchburg State 1
Friday, May 1 – Second Round/Start of Double Elimination Format
Game #3: #4 Framingham State 6, #1 Massachusetts Maritime 3
Game #4: #2 Salem State 6, #3 Worcester State 0
Saturday, May 2 – Semifinal Round (Commodore Hendy Field, Buzzards Bay, Mass.)
Game #5: #3 Worcester State (24-15) at #1 Massachusetts Maritime (17-11) 9:30 am
Game #6: #4 Framingham State (26-15) vs. #2 Salem State (23-12) 12:30 pm
Game #7: Winner Game #5 vs. Loser Game #6 3:30 pm
Sunday, May 3 – Championship Round (Commodore Hendy Field, Buzzards Bay, Mass.)
Game #8: Game #6 Winner vs. Game #7 Winner 11:00 am
Game #9: Game #6 Winner vs. Game #7 Winner (if necessary) 30 min. following
— Story contributed by Massachusetts Maritime Academy Director of Sports Information Jim Seavey and edited by Capecod.com Sports Editor Sean Walsh.
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