SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State University and Western New England University played to a 2-2, 13-inning tie in a non-conference baseball game on Thursday, April 17.
The three hours and 20-minute game was called because of darkness at 7:20 p.m. Westfield's record moves to 12-11-1 heading into Friday's conference doubleheader at Framingham State. Western New England is 12-14-1 and plays a non-conference game at UMass Boston on Friday, April 18.
The Golden Bears held a 2-0 lead through seven innings backed by the strong one-hit pitching of senior pitcher Brendan Nugent. But the Owls rallied to tie the score in the top of the eighth by scoring two runs on three singles and a costly error.
Sophomore catcher Evan Moorhouse led off the eighth by belting a single up the middle. Moorhouse stole second and, following two strikeouts, advanced to third on Pat McWilliams' single to deep shortstop. Moorhouse scored Westfield's first run when Tim Santilli reached safely on a shortstop fielding error. Danny DiMatteo then drove home the tying run on a solid single up the middle that easily scored McWilliams from second base. Relief pitcher Tom Mahoney entered the game and retired pinch hitter E.G. McMillan on a groundout to end the inning.
Western New England scored single runs in the first and third innings off Justin Thomson, the first of five Owls pitchers. Kevin Marciano led off with a single, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on Steve Ambrosino's RBI single.
In the third frame, T.J. Wyrebek was hit by a pitch, scampered to third on Ambrosino's single to right field, and scored on Jeff Schult's sacrifice fly.
WNE outhit Westfield, 8-7. The Golden Bears stranded 13 base runners, Westfield nine.
Ambrosino was the only multiple hitter the Golden Bears; he was 2 for 5. No. 9 hitter Tyler Adams was 2 for 5 for the Owls. Westfield late-game substitute D.J. Bishop belted the only extra base hit, a ringing two-out double off the third baseman's glove that placed runners at second and third in the 12th inning. Mahoney recorded one of his five strikeouts to end the scoring threat.
Nugent struck out eight and allowed two walks and four hits in seven and two-third innings. Mahoney gave up three hits and a walk. Only one Westfield batter hit the ball on a fly to the outfield in the 13-inning marathon, a left field putout on the game's first pitch.
Westfield's five pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts. They only walked three but hit four batters. Garrett Briggs hurled the final six innings, allowing three hits and a walk while whiffing five.