BUZZARDS BAY – For six innings he spun a veritable web over the visiting Fitchburg State Falcons.
But in the seventh frame, ahead 1-0, what appeared to be a much-deserved win for Massachusetts Maritime Academy southpaw Kevin Kwedor became an unthinkable loss.
Massachusetts Maritime lefty Kevin Kwedor struck out 10 batters and carried a 1-0 lead through 6 1/3 innings of work before visiting Fitchburg State turned it around for a 5-1 win.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
Kwedor (3-2), struck out a career-high 10 batters and walked just two while scattering four hits. He also stranded six runners on base in 6 1/3 innings of work but he was tabbed with the hard-luck loss when the Buccaneers’ collective wheels came off in the top of the seventh inning.
Facing Fitchburg’s bottom of the order, the situation seemed primed for Kwedor. But a leadoff infield error, followed by a walk and then a ground out put runners on second and third base for Fitchburg State. The Falcons’ leadoff man Mike Mazzeo then took an 0-2 fastball and drove it down the rightfield line to give the Falcons all they would need to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Suddenly down 2-1 with one man on first and one out, that was the end for the lanky, hard-throwing southpaw. Mass. Maritime senior righty Zac Cooney came in to try and get the Bucs out of the jam, but Fitchburg had succeeded in building the momentum needed to pour it on.
Mazzeo stole second and Cooney then plunked Falcons’ centerfielder Pierce Hans to put runners on first and second base. Cooney struck out the next batter for the second out but then Brendan Cutler fisted a soft bloop toward first base that neither Mass. Maritime first baseman Greg Downs nor Cooney could get to in time. Incredibly, both runners on base prior to the bloop – Mazzeo and Hans – scored. Now down 4-1, Cooney continued to give it his usual best, but the visiting Falcons drew a walk and then tacked on an RBI-basehit for a 5-1 advantage before Cooney struck out Mike Martignetti to end the inning.
Buccaneers’ rightfielder Everett Walsh led off the top of the seventh with a line drive to right-center, followed by a line-drive basehit to right by pinch-hitter Jonah Olsen. The steam in the rally fizzled, though, when the ensuing pinch-hitter grounded into a double play. With two outs and Walsh on third base, Buccaneers’ left fielder Connor Kennedy was called on to lay it down and the freshman executed it perfectly for his second hit of the day. It was too little, too late, however, and the next Buccaneer grounded out to end the game. Kennedy had two hits for the Buccaneers.
Massachusetts Maritime catcher Logan Sullo takes off for first base after crushing an RBI-triple in the first inning but that was all the Buccaneers could muster on the day versus Fitchburg State.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
The Buccaneers’ sole run came in the first inning when leadoff man Bobby Rosano grounded to deep short but beat out the throw for a single and freshman catcher Logan Sullo delivered a triple over the Fitchburg State rightfielder’s head to drive Rosano in. The Buccaneers enjoyed that 1-0 lead through 6 1/3 innings of play, thanks to Kwedor’s performance on the hill.
Massachusetts Maritime returns to Commodore Hendy Field Sunday afternoon for a key conference doubleheader against Salem State starting at 1:00 pm.
— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
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