SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 14, 2024) – The Western New England baseball team fell short in both games of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at the hands of the Rams of Suffolk University in conference play, dropping 16-7 and 6-3 decisions from Trelease Park.
Records:
- Suffolk University: 14-12, 4-4 CCC
- Western New England: 10-12, 1-4 CCC
How it Happened: (Game 1):
A quick 2-0 lead for the Rams in the top of the first inning would give the road team the early edge. Harry Painter would drive in Suffolk's first run on an RBI triple off WNE starter
Jared Kuryan, while Painter would come in to score on a wild pitch to quickly put Suffolk ahead. The Golden Bears would go down in order and would quickly find themselves in a 6-0 hole at the end of the top of the second inning after the Rams would come around to plate four more in the second inning. Two singles, a walk, and a wild pitch would score runners for the Rams, as Suffolk would come away with six runs on six hits in the first two innings of the doubleheader.
Western New England would bounce back in the bottom of the second inning when the blue and gold plated five runs on just two hits, taking advantage of Suffolk's error in the inning.
Ryan Montini would smash a home run to right field, plating three for WNE, while an RBI double by
Paul Villecco would get Western New England back within one run of the lead.
Montini was not done there, as the sophomore came through with an RBI double in the bottom of the third inning, which evened the score of the game at six.
After climbing back, the Golden Bears would surrender a bases-clearing grand slam to Suffolk's Max Iorio, who gave the Rams a 10-6 lead at the end of the fourth inning after the Golden Bears would leave two runners on base in the bottom of the fourth. Both teams would add a run in the fifth inning. For Western New England,
John Bova would continue his week of RBIs with a sacrifice fly, scoring the seventh run of the game for the Golden Bears.
The offense would stay stagnant for the Golden Bears while Suffolk would continue to wreck Western New England pitching as the Rams would score a run in the sixth, a run in the seventh, and would blow open the game in the top of the eighth by scoring three more runs, scoring in seven of the nine innings in the game, and coming away with a 16-7 victory over WNE.
Inside the Lines:
- The Golden Bears recorded ten hits on the afternoon, though they left 13 runners on base in the loss.
- Paul Villecco and Ryan Montini both recorded two hits each in the game.
- SP Jared Kuryan went the first five innings, giving up 11 hits and 11 runs, all earned, while walking four Rams and striking out just one.
- Suffolk's bullpen gave up just six hits and an earned run for the Golden Bears over 6.2 innings pitched.
How it Happened (Game 2):
Looking to rebound and pick up an important CCC win, the Golden Bears turned the ball over to reigning CCC Rookie of the Week,
Tanner Wall, who struck out the first two batters he faced and gave up just one hit in the top of the first to hold the Rams off the board.
Paul Villecco reached on a hit by a pitch in the bottom of the first, though the Golden Bears would not be able to capitalize on the leadoff runner-up. Suffolk would score the first two runs of the game, as they did in game one, grabbing two RBI singles in the top of the second to secure the early lead. The Golden Bears would go down in order in the bottom of the second, while Suffolk added a run in the top of the third on another RBI single to take a 3-0 lead.
The Golden Bears would see Suffolk's game two starting pitcher Harry Painter throw five innings of no-hit baseball before
Ryan Montini would ruin that no-hitter with a double down the right field line, though the Golden Bears would find themselves down 6-0 at that point after the Rams came away with three more runs in the top of the fifth.
Kohtaro Shimada would grab a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth while
John Bova would draw a bases-loaded walk, giving Western New England two runs in the inning, though the Golden Bears would leave the bases full in the inning, still trailing 6-2.
With the bases loaded again in the bottom of the seventh, Western New England would fail to convert again; this time the Rams would draw up a conventional 4-6-3 double play to get out of the huge jam. The Golden Bears would wait until the bottom of the ninth, where they again loaded the bases and would score their third run of the game when
Trey Young would be walked, though that would be the only run of the inning as WNE would fall by a final score of 6-3, dropping both games of the doubleheader.
Inside the Lines:
- WNE pounded out three hits in the loss in game two as Cody Waterbury, Ryan Montini, and Kohtaro Shimada recorded the only hits for the Golden Bears.
- Western New England was walked 14 times in game two, though left 15 runners on base and struck out 13 times.
- Cam Heeman came in relief on Sunday for Tanner Wall, giving up just one hit over four innings of work, keeping WNE alive to make a comeback.
- WNE is swept by Suffolk for just the second time in the program's last 20 years. The Golden Bears had previously won four straight over the Rams.
Up Next on the Schedule:
- After dropping the doubleheader, WNE will look to shake it off with another doubleheader coming on Monday, April 15 at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm as they travel to Curry College. The Golden Bears will play nine games in the next six days.
