Golden Bears roll to 14-0 victory in game two after posting 4-1 win in opener

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 21, 2018) – The No. 29 ranked Western New England University baseball team earned a doubleheader sweep against Curry College on Saturday afternoon in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at Trelease Park. The Golden Bears posted a 4-1 win in the opener, before rolling to a 14-0, game two victory. 

Following the first contest, Western New England honored seniors Jake Kawiecki (Burlington, Conn.), Jared Rosenblatt (Avon, Conn.), Steve Rivela (Hudson, Mass.) and Cody Kozin (Storrs, Conn.) for their contributions to the baseball program over the last four years.

WNE 4, Curry 1

Top Performers
• Sophomore Jamie Schofield (Darien, Conn.) posted a 3-for-4 effort with a double and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot, while junior Alex Loparco (Riverside, Conn.) added two hits and Rosenblatt went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
• Junior left-hander Bob Hamel (Southwick, Mass.) improved to 3-0 this season with a complete game, one-run performance.

• Curry was led by sophomore Jhonathan Oliveira (Peabody, Mass.), who recorded one of the Colonels' four hits and drove in the team's lone run.

Game Review
The Golden Bears grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning, as Schofield led off with a single through the right side of the infield, before advancing to second on a single by Loparco, moving up to third on a balk, and scoring on a sacrifice fly by junior Erik Lacaire (Worcester, Mass.).

After Curry tied the contest on Oliveira's RBI single up the middle in the third, the Golden Bears restored their one-run edge (2-1) in the bottom of the fourth. Junior Ben LaCroix (Branford, Conn.) reached base on an error with one out, and Rosenblatt followed with a single through the left side of the infield. Sophomore Zac Nussbaum (Bridgewater, Mass.) came up next and doubled to right center, scoring LaCroix from second.

Western New England plated two more runs in the fifth to extend its lead to 4-1. Schofield led off with a double to right field, before scoring two batters later on an RBI groundout by Lacaire. Later in the inning, Rosenblatt drove in Lacaire with single through the left side of the infield.

Hamel allowed one baserunner in both of the final two frames, but neither advanced into scoring position as the Golden Bears secured the game one victory.

WNE 14, Curry 0

Top Performers
• Lacaire and LaCroix led Western New England's offensive outburst in the second contest, as they both walked, recorded three hits and drove in three runs.
• Junior Aaron Rios (Stratford, Conn.) went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI, while classmate Joe Cassella (Wallingford, Conn.) added a 2-for-4 effort with one RBI and two runs scored.
• Junior right-hander Paul Wetmore (Hamden, Conn.) struck out five batters and surrendered just four hits over six shutout innings to improve to 5-2 this season.

Game Review
Western New England opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning, as the Golden Bears loaded the bases before Rios hit a two-run double down the right field line.

The home team put five more runs on the board the following inning to claim a 7-0 lead. After Loparco led off with a walk and Lacaire followed with a single, Cassella drove in a run with another single to center field. LaCroix then delivered a two-run single to right field, while an error and a sacrifice fly later in the frame accounted for Western New England's sixth and seventh runs of the contest.

The Golden Bears added another run in the fourth, before breaking the game open with four runs in the fifth, which was highlighted by RBI doubles from Lacaire and Rosenblatt.

Another double by Lacaire in the sixth, which brought in two more runs, extended the final margin to 14-0 as Western New England completed the sweep. 

Up Next
Both teams will be back in action on Sunday, as Western New England (22-8, 7-3 CCC) faces Wentworth at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, and Curry (9-12, 3-5 CCC) returns home to host Roger Williams.