Box Score
Box Score
MANSFIELD, Conn. – Senior
Mark DiTommaso (Hebron, CT) came through with a clutch pitching performance and junior right fielder
Matt Anthonis (Guilford, CT) delivered four hits as No. 21 Western new England topped Bowdoin 7-1 in an elimination game of the NCAA Division III New England Regional Championship Friday morning (May 18) at Eastern Stadium.
The fifth-seeded Golden Bears (35-12) will meet second-seeded St. Joseph's (Maine) (37-6) at approximately 7:45 p.m. tonight in another elimination contest. The Monks defeated fourth-seeded Keene State 6-1 in the second contest.
DiTomasso, who took the mound for the first time since May 6, scattered nine hits over seven innings and gave up an unearned run. He walked one and had two strikeouts to keep his record perfect at 5-0.
Anthonis keyed the 14-hit attack with four singles and scored twice while knocking in a pair of runs. He is batting .429 in three regional tournament contests.
Junior left field
Taylor Perun (Plainville, CT) contributed three hits while sophomore center fielder
Jeff Schult (Wappingers Falls, NY) added two hits and a RBI. He also stole a pair of bases giving him a school-record 32 for the season, breaking the old mark of 30 set by
Ryan Dudzinski a year ago.
The Golden Bears took 2-0 lead in the second on a sacrifice fly by freshman designated hitter
Steve Buckley (Monroe, CT) who was making his first appearance in the regional and single by Schult.
Bowdoin (26-20) scored its only run in the third when sophomore right fielder
John Lefeber (Branford, CT) reached on an error with two outs and came around to score on a single by junior left fielder
Tim McGarry (Kennett Square, PA).
Western New England added single runs in the fourth, fifth, and six innings to open a 5-1 lead.
The Polar Bears made things interesting by loading the bases with one out in the eighth, but senior reliever
Mike Lawlor (Windsor, CT) put out the fire by getting a pop-up and strikeout. He gave up a single and walked a batter in the ninth, but retired the last two outs to compile his fifth save of the season and 22nd of his career.
Lefeber and junior second baseman
Oliver Van Zant (Westport, CT) each had two of Bowdoin's 10 hits.
Senior
Tim Welch (Portsmouth, NH) (4-3) took the loss after allowing eight hits and four runs (three earned) with a walk and strikeout in five innings.
The Polar Bears committed five errors, but escaped damage with only one run unearned.
Each team stranded 12 runners on base.
Western New England also posted a 7-1 victory over Keene State in its regional opener on Wednesday. The Golden Bears have scored seven runs in a game six times this season, and all have resulted in victories.
Contact: Ken Cerino, Western New England athletic communications director (413) 782-1227
kcerino@wne.edu
