Two-Run Second Inning Lifts Baseball Past Fitchburg State University, 3-0

FITCHBURG, Mass. – Elms College freshman second baseman Aedin Wadja (Lebanon, Conn.) drove in a pair of runs and sophomore pitcher Geoffrey Frost (Ludlow, Mass.) allowed just two hits in seven scoreless innings to help propel the Blazers to a 3-0 victory over Fitchburg State University in Thursday afternoon's non-conference baseball game at Riccards Field in Fitchburg, Mass.

With the win, Elms improves to 10-9 overall and has now won five straight games. Fitchburg State moves to 10-11-1 overall.

After a scoreless first inning of play that featured a 1-2-3 inning for both teams, Elms broke the scoreless tie when junior catcher Zachary Dreher (Naugatuck, Conn.) connected for a one-out single to left field, and then moved to second on a base hit through the left side by freshman shortstop Nolan Medeiros (Taunton, Mass.). Both runners advanced 90 feet on a groundout to the pitcher before Wadja laced a two-out, two-run single giving the Blazers a 2-0 lead.

The Falcons kept Elms' offense in check over the next four innings allowing just two runners to reach as far as second base. In the top of the seventh, freshman left fielder Dan McCormack (Shelton, Conn.) drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then moved to third on a groundout bringing junior first baseman Alex King (Lebanon, Conn.) to the plate who drove him the final 90 feet with an RBI single.

Elms loaded the bases in the top of the ninth when King Walked, Dreher singled up the middle and Medeiros walked but Falcons' relief pitcher Brendan Cutler (Lancaster, Mass.) entered the game for Max Tejeda (Acton, Mass.) and struck out the next Blazers' batter to end the threat and keep the game at 3-0.

Elms' senior reliever Ryan Burnette (Chicopee, Mass.), who pitched the eighth and ninth innings, surrendered just one hit and struck out one en route to his first save of the season.

Frost was masterful on the hill, scattering just three hits in the game while striking out three batters in 7.0 innings to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Fitchburg State starting pitcher Mike Martignetti (Boston, Mass.) suffered the loss to move to 0-1 on the season. He allowed three runs on eight hits, dealt four walks and struck out three batters in 6.2 frames of work.

Tejeda allowed just one hit and walked three in two stanzas on the hill, while Cody Bamforth (Vernon, Conn.) was 2 for 4 to lead the Falcons at the plate.

Dreher was 3 for 5 with a double and King was 2 for 4 with an RBI in the winning effort.

Elms returns to conference play on Saturday, April 13 when it travels to Mitchell College for a double-header set to begin at 12:00 p.m. in New London, Conn.