SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 1, 2025) – The Western New England baseball team opened the 2025 spring season on Saturday afternoon and completed the sweep in two seven inning doubleheaders from Archie Allen Field over the Pride of Springfield College, coming up with 4-0 and 5-0 victories in the doubleheader. Jared Kuryan and Matt Lauria shined on the mound for Western New England. 

Records:

• Western New England: 2-0
• Springfield College: 0-2

How it Happened: (Game 1):

Springfield would have the first scoring chance in the bottom of the first inning as Nate Garafalo would record a triple to open his campaign but would not come around to score as WNE starting pitcher Jared Kuryan would come up with to pop outs to end the inning. Western New England would score first in the game, getting a solo home run from Jack Loftus, his first of the season, the first batter in the top of the second inning, giving the Golden Bears a 1-0 lead. WNE would threaten for more in the second after Trey Young would be hit by a pitch while Connor Cowern would pick up his first career collegiate hit but the Pride would get out of the inning by giving up just the one run. 

Kuryan would shine in the bottom of the second, getting all three members of the Pride to strike out swinging, collecting his first three strikeouts of the season. The Pride would again go in order in the bottom of the third as the WNE graduate student would find his groove. In the top of the fourth, Western New England would come up with three more runs on two hits and a Springfield College error. Connor Cowern would reach on a dropped flyball by the Pride right fielder while Antonio Galizia would walk. Tyler Kornacki would pick up an RBI on a double with two outs in the inning while senior John Bova would pick up where he left off last season, coming up with an RBI single that scored two on an error by Springfield College center fielder. WNE picked up a 4-0 lead after the top of the fourth. 

Back-to-back walks in the bottom of the fourth would put two on with two out for Springfield but they would not be able to score as Kuryan came up with another strikeout to end the inning. Once again, Western New England would threaten, this time coming in the top of the fifth but would leave two runners aboard. Kuryan's final three outs of the game cane in the bottom of the sixth, getting three ground balls, ending his afternoon with six innings in the books, giving up just a single hit, walking three and striking out four. WNE would not be able to add any insurance in the top of the seventh, but Andrew Melone would lock down the final three outs for the Golden Bears, getting two strikeouts in the process, giving WNE a 4-0 game one victory. 

Inside the Lines:

• Jared Kuryan was the star of the game on the hill, giving up just a single hit through six innings of work, coming up with four punchouts. 
• Jack Loftus cracked his first home run of the season. 
• John Bova had two hits and an RBI for Western New England. 

How it Happened (Game 2):

Senior Matt Lauria took the bump for the Golden Bears in the second seven-inning game of the day. Springfield College would get two hits off Lauria in the opening inning but would not score as Lauria induced a ground ball to end the threat. Western New England had a big second inning, scoring all five of their runs in the game in the inning. Jack Loftus would start the inning by getting hit by a pitch while Trey Young walked, quickly putting runners on first and second with no outs. Connor Cowern picked up a single for Western New England to score one, giving WNE a 1-0 lead. Jack Gamache would pick up his first RBI of the season with a single, scoring Cowern, giving WNE a 2-0 lead. John Bova would take a walk with two outs in the inning, getting the bases loaded for Ryan Montini, who collected a three RBI double, clearing the bases and giving the Golden Bears a 5-0 lead over the Pride after 1.5 innings. 

Springfield College was no threat in the bottom of the second inning but had their best scoring chance of the day in the bottom of the third inning. The Pride opened with a base runner after a WNE error at third base while a stolen base and a fielder's choice would put a runner on second with one out.  Matt Lauria would catch his next batter looking, putting two outs in the inning but Adam Crocker singled for Springfield and then stole a base, putting runners on second and third with two outs but Lauria would get the next Pride hitter swinging, ending the threat and leaving WNE ahead 5-0. 

Western New England would threaten in the top of the fourth inning despite not getting any hits but the blue and gold left three runners on base and would not be able to extend their lead. Lauria struck out two in the bottom of the fourth and then got two groundouts quickly in the fifth as the senior righty set down eight in a row heading into the bottom of the sixth. In the sixth, Springfield's Crocker would get another base hit, but Lauria would lock it down, adding two more strikeouts to his total to finish the inning, up to seven on the afternoon with three outs left to get. Western New England would go fairly quietly in the seventh despite a two-bagger from Jack Loftus, leaving Lauria out for the final three outs of the game. The senior hurler would get not one, not two, but three strikeouts to end the contest, finishing the game with ten total, giving Western New England a 5-0 victory. 

Inside the Lines:

• Matt Lauria's final stat line over the seven-inning game was flawless. The Haddam, Connecticut native came up with a complete game shutout, going seven innings, giving up five hits and no runs while walking just one and striking out a career high ten in the win. 
• Offensively, Jack Gamache led WNE with two hits and an RBI in the game.
• Ryan Montini's bases-clearing double in the top of the second would be all WNE would need to come up with the victory on Saturday in the second game of the doubleheader.
• Western New England had now defeated Springfield in seven straight contests. 

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The blue and gold are back on the diamond on Tuesday, March 4 at 2:30 PM, taking on the University of Saint Joseph's (Conn.).