Baseball Falls to Westfield State University, 10-5

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Elms College junior catcher Zachary Dreher (Naugatuck, Conn.) was 4 for 5 at the dish but Westfield State University's Kevin Greene (Worcester, Mass.) was 4 for 4 with two doubles, two triples, two RBI and four runs scored to help lift the Owls to a 10-5 victory over the Blazers in Wednesday afternoon's non-conference baseball game at Alumni Field.

With the loss, Elms moves to 5-5 on the season, while Westfield State improves to 5-7 overall.

After Westfield State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Elms answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame when freshman left fielder Daniel McCormack (Shelton, Conn.) doubled to left to lead off the stanza, advanced to third on a passed ball and then scored on a single by senior center fielder Stephen Fisher (West Boylston, Mass.). Fisher later came around to score the Blazers' second run of the game when sophomore right fielder Brady Forrest (Hampden, Mass.) reached on an error allowing Elms to stake a 2-1 lead.

Following a scoreless second frame, the Owls struck for four runs in the top of the third highlighted by an RBI double from Connor Sheridan (South Hadley, Mass.), a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center by Dan Rokitowski (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) and a run-scoring base hit to right center by EG McMillan (Hopkinton, Mass.) to give Westfield State a 5-2 lead.

The Owls extended their lead to 7-2 when Greene cracked a two-run triple in the top of the fourth inning before Elms got the run back in the bottom of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly by Forrest to set the score at 7-3.

Elms loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning when freshman third baseman Brian Langdon (Beacon Falls, Conn.) reached on a fielder's choice, McCormack reached on a Westfield State error and Fisher was hit by a pitch to jam the bases with one out. However, Owls' pitcher Mike Sullivan (East Sandwich, Mass.) stranded the runners when he issued a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning preserving the four-run lead.

Westfield State added a run in the top of the seventh on an RBI double down the left field line by Andrew Medeiros (Acushnet, Mass.) and two more in the top of the ninth when Pat McWilliams (Duxbury, Mass.) belted a leadoff homer and Medeiros connected for his second RBI double down the left field line to lift the Owls advantage to 10-3.

Forrest pushed across Elms' fourth run of the game when he walked and eventually came around to score on a throwing error on a fielder's choice by freshman third baseman Aedin Wadja (Lebanon, Conn.).  Wadja then came around to score on a bases-loaded walk by Fisher to set the final score at 10-5.

Elms' junior starter Derek Leal (Charlton, Mass.) pitched the first 3.2 innings and struck out three batters and suffered the loss. Senior left-hander John Russell (Springfield, Mass.) fanned five batters in 4.1 frames of relief work for the Blazers.

Elms' freshman shortstop Nolan Medeiros (Taunton, Mass.) was 3 for 4 at the dish while Fisher finished with a pair of RBI.

Sullivan pitched a complete game to earn the victory for Westfield State, striking out four in nine innings on the hill.

Andrew Medeiros finished 3 for 4 at the plate with three RB, and Kyle Colesanti (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) added two hits in the winning effort.

Elms will host the University of Maine-Farmington on Thursday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. at MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke, Mass. in its 2013 home-opener.