Loss snaps Golden Bears' four-game winning streak

AUBURNDALE, Fla. (March 15, 2017) – The Western New England University baseball team suffered its first loss at the 2017 RussMatt Central Florida Invitational this morning, falling 6-5 to Trinity College in a regional contest at Lake Myrtle Park.

Top Performers
• Sophomore outfielder Erik Lacaire (Worcester, Mass.) was the lone Golden Bear to post a multi-hit effort, going 2-for-5 with one RBI. Freshman infielder Kevin Johnson (Waterford, Conn.) walked twice, recorded an RBI single and scored a run, while sophomore Alex Loparco (Riverside, Conn.) hit a two-run double.

• Trinity senior infielder Nick DiBenedetto (Fort Myers, Fla.) reached base four times with three singles and a walk while also scoring two runs. Juniors Tyler Forgione (North Branford, Conn.) and Cooper Mooney (Southbury, Conn.) drove in two runs each, while classmate Brendan Pierce (Hingham, Mass.) went 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs before coming on to pitch in the ninth and earning the save for the Bantams.

Game Review
• After each team tallied a single run in the second, a single by Forgione in the fourth gave Trinity a 2-1 edge.
• The Bantams then claimed a 5-1 advantage with three runs in the top of the sixth. After the first three batters reached base, Forgione recorded an RBI groundout and Mooney followed with a two-run single up the middle.  
• Western New England rallied to tie the contest at 5-5 with four runs in the bottom of the seventh, however. Nussbaum and Johnson opened the frame with walks, and two batters later sophomore outfielder Joe Cassella (Wallingford, Conn.) doubled to left field, scoring Johnson. Loparco followed with a two-run double down the left field line, and Lacaire drove in the game-tying run two batters later with a clutch two-out single to right field.
• Freshman right-hander Brian Scheid (East Hampton, Conn.) came on to work the eighth for the Golden Bears and recorded two quick outs, before an error and hit batter put two runners on base. Another Western New England error allowed the go-ahead run to score as Trinity took a 6-5 lead.
• Western New England loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half of the inning, before Trinity sophomore Erik Mohl (Milton, Mass.) came on in relief and struck out the side. The Golden Bears had another opportunity to plate the game-tying run in the ninth, but freshman Jamie Schofield (Darien, Conn.) was stranded at third base as Trinity held on for the win.

Notes
• Making his first start of the season, junior Jake Kawiecki (Burlington, Conn.) lasted six innings, striking out five batters and allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits.
• The Golden Bears were held under ten hits (nine) for just the second time this season, despite the fact that eight of nine starters recorded a hit.
• Western New England's loss snaps a 12-game winning streak for the Golden Bears in Florida dating back to the beginning of the 2016 campaign.

Up Next
Western New England (5-2) will be off tomorrow before returning to action on Friday with a doubleheader against No. 13 nationally ranked The College of New Jersey at Lake Myrtle Park. First pitch is scheduled for 9 a.m. Trinity (3-2) takes on Rutgers-Camden tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.