SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Junior designated hitter Travis Schwamb (West Springfield, MA) knocked in the winning run with a sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning as No. 23 Western New England College opened its home baseball season with a 4-3 victory over Roger Williams University Friday afternoon (Mar. 30) at Trelease Park.

Schwamb also had a run-scoring double to deep left center in the sixth that tied the contest at 3-3 after missing a homer that just hooked foul over the right field foul pole.

Senior Eric Blanchard (Worcester, MA) pitched a complete game for his first win of the season. He allowed only four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. He struck out the last five batters of the game to even his record at 1-1.

Senior center fielder Garrison Ward (Wyckoff, NJ) went 3-for-3 and scored two runs for the Golden Bears.

WNEC (6-5) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Ward singled, advanced to second on a balk, and then scored on a pair of wild pitches.

Freshman second baseman Justin Walz (Groton, CT) tripled with one out in the fifth and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior catcher Stephen Hanjack (Enfield, CT) for a 2-0 advantage in the fifth.

The Hawks (5-9) rallied by scoring three times in the sixth on a RBI double by sophomore first baseman Alex Perry (Glastonbury, CT), run-scoring single by sophomore third baseman Kevin Simpson (Londonderry, NH), and sacrifice fly by sophomore left fielder Andrew Haycock (Medfield, MA).