Box Score Box Score

Bryan Previte

Jeff Richardson

HARWICH, Mass. - Western New England remained unbeaten in the NCAA Division III New England Regional Baseball Championship after posting an 11-4 victory over Bridgewater State in a winner's bracket game Friday (May 20) at Whitehouse Field.

The Golden Bears, who are 3-0 and the only unbeaten team in the tournament, advanced to the championship round for the first time in school history Sunday (May 22) against an opponent to be determined.

Western New England needs to win only one more game to advance to the Division III College World Series May 27-31 in Appleton, Wisconsin.

(The elimination game between St. Joseph's, Maine and Wheaton Friday night was suspended because of fog with the Lyons leading 2-0 in the top of the seventh. They will resume the game at noon Saturday with the winner playing Bridgewater State at 4:00 pm Saturday. WNE will play the winner of that contest at noon Sunday for the regional title. If Western New England loses, the championship game will be held at 4:00 p.m.)

Golden Bears look strong in win over BSU Bears

Once again, several players made significant contributions as Western New England improved to a school-record 41-9 while running its winning streak to eight games.

Senior Evan Michaud (Windsor Locks, CT) pitched six strong innings to gain his eighth win of the year without a loss. He gave up six hits and a run while walking one with one strikeout.

Sophomore shortstop Kyle McKelvey (Schenectady, NY) led the 17-hit attack by going 4-for-4 with a walk, RBI, and three runs scored. Senior center-fielder Andrew Fatse (Hampden, MA) contributed three singles and two stolen bases with two runs and. 

Sophomore second baseman Mike Rubino (Northford, CT) also had three hits, which gave him a school-record 79 this season, breaking the old mark of 77 set by Joe Griglun last year.

Senior left-fielder Ryan Dudzinski (Bristol, CT) chipped-in with two hits and three RBI. Senior catcher Jason Leclerc (Chicopee, MA) had a pair of hits with a run scored.

Western New England took a 3-0 lead in the third on a two-run single by sophomore second baseman Tim Clark (West Springfield, MA) and sacrifice fly by Dudzinski. Senior first baseman Tony Trubia (Tolland, CT) had a run-scoring single in the fifth before BSU tallied its first run in the bottom of the fifth when sophomore first baseman David Pierce (East Bridgewater, MA) delivered a two-out RBI single.

The Golden Bears tacked-on two runs in the sixth when Dudzinski drilled a two-out, two-run single through the left side. Fatse and sophomore right-fielder Matt Anthonis (Guilford, CT) each had RBI singles in a three-run seventh and WNE went ahead 11-1 following a pair of run-scoring singles by Fatse and McKelvey in the eighth.

Bridgewater State plated three runs in the bottom of the eighth when senior pinch-hitter Matt Greenberg (Norwell, MA) smacked a three-run double off the right field fence.

Pierce finished with three hits while junior shortstop Corey Batista (Fall River, MA) had a pair of doubles, single, and run scored. Junior Joshua Ferreira (Fall River, MA) (2-2) was the losing pitcher.

The BSU Bears now have a 25-17 record.