BRISTOL, R.I. – It was a frigid Tuesday afternoon at Paolino Field, but the bat of London Camelo (Bristol, R.I.) was plenty warm with five hits and five runs batted in as the Roger Williams University Baseball team overcame both the elements and Bridgewater State University, 13-8. Camelo's perfect day at the dish led the offense to their tenth double-digit scoring output in 14 games this season to back a strong outing from Dan Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) on the mound.
RWU continues to steamroll through the early portion of their schedule, improving to 13-1 on the year thus far. The Bears, meanwhile, fall to 8-6 on the campaign.
Massaro allowed a run in the first inning but was exceptional from there setting down 14 consecutive batters while piling up a career-high ten strikeouts on his way to the win as he improved to 2-1 on the year. He finished allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits while not walking a man. Ethan Grade (South Windsor, Conn.) took the loss for BSU, falling to 0-1 after throwing the first 2.1 innings allowing nine runs, six of them earned, on four hits and four walks.
Neither pitching staff got many favors from the defenses behind them as the two squads combined for nine errors resulting in 11 unearned runs out of the 21 scored in the game.
Hawk Highlights
London Camelo: 5-for-5, 2B, SB, 5 RBI, RS
Christopher Flynn: 2-for-3, 3B, HR, SB, 3 RS
Ben Bonavita: 1-for-3, 2 SB, 3 RS
Mike Masino: 1-for-2, SB, BB, RBI, RS
Dan Massaro: (W, 2-1), 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
For The Opponents
Joe Frechette: 3-for-5, SB, 3 RBI, RS
Jay Wladkowski: 2-for-5, SB, 3 RS
Joey Molis: 1-for-3, BB, 2 RBI
Dan Saraceno: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, RS
Ethan Grade: (L, 0-1), 2.1 IP, 4 H, 9 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
How It Happened
Bridgewater State would get to work piecing together a run in the first inning against Dan Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.). With one out, Jay Wladkowski (Norwood, Mass.) reached on an infield single to third, stole second, and came home on a Joe Frechette (Plymouth, Mass.) single up the middle, and just like that the Bears were on the board first. Their offensive success would be short lived however, as their bats went ice cold and Massaro successfully retired the next 14 men he faced allowing the Roger Williams offense to get warmed up, and in the bottom of the second they would do just that.
After Nick Zobian (Califon, N.J.) crushed a flyout to center that on any other Bristol day would be over the fence, Ben Bonavita (E. Longmeadow, Mass.) got plunked and Christopher Flynn (Randolph, N.J.) floated a soft liner over the first baseman's head for a single. Both runners advanced on a passed ball, but a Mike Masino (Bayville, N.J.) walk loaded the bases anyway for London Camelo (Bristol, R.I.). He proceeded to scorch a single into shallow left-center field scoring a pair of runs and the Hawks would never trail again. Both runners advanced another 90 feet on the throw home on the previous play and so the infield was pulled in for Owen Hibbard (Roxbury, Conn.) who hit a grounder that ate up the second baseman as Masino crossed the plate. Hibbard took second on a steal before another walk, this one drawn by Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.), loaded the bases. Matt Massaro (Fairfield, Conn.) would ground into a fielder's choice that saw the Bears get the runner at the plate and they were about to get out of the inning without any further damage when Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) rolled one over, but the first baseman Dan Saraceno (Mansfield, Mass.) committed the first of his three errors on the day as two runs scored on the play. Jenkins swiped second on an outstanding dirtball read and Zobian, who began the madness, drew a free pass loading the bases. With Bonavita at the plate, BSU attempted to back-pick Zobian, but Massaro read it immediately to steal home for the sixth Hawk run of the inning, despite only recording two hits.
The hosts added more in the third. Similar to Zobian in the previous inning, Flynn led off by smashing a ball to center though his was not caught as he reached with a triple and scored a few pitches later on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Camelo reached on an infield hit, took second on a wild pitch and third on a dirtball read while Hibbard drew a free pass and stole second to put two runners in scoring position with Cedeno at the plate. He brought in a run with a sacrifice fly and then the weather came into play. Massaro popped one up near the infield and it appeared as though it would be caught behind the shortstop but then the cold Bristol wind blew it all the way to the foul line behind third as the ball fell in for a double and the run scored making the score 9-0 in favor of the hosts.
RWU tacked on two more on a Masino SAC Fly and a Camelo RBI double in the fourth before Dan Massaro finally saw his consecutive batters retired streak snapped with two outs in the top of the sixth. Wladowski tapped one to Jenkins at first, but he mishandled the grounder giving the Bears new life and they took advantage. Saracino got hit by a pitch, advancing Wladowski then Frechette brought him in with a single to right to cut the deficit.
The Hawks got it back on yet another Camelo run-scoring single in the home half but then things really got crazy in the top of the eighth. With Connor Padovich (Bristol, R.I.) on the hill following a scoreless frame from Zayvier Hartman (Clovis, N.M.), the RWU defense began to crumble. Patrick Cashin (Franklin, Mass.) opened the inning by reaching on an error then Wladowski singled just out of the reach of the shortstop, and Saraceno doubled home a run after sneaking a grounder under the backhand attempt by the third baseman. Frechette's third RBI single of the afternoon cut the deficit to eight but then Padovich got a strikeout for out number one. Eric Longley (Mansfield, Mass.) hit what should have been the third out of the inning to short, but he reached on a throwing error as two runs scored, and Kyle Suraci (Clinton, Conn.) followed that up with a double to left. Justin Fraleigh (Rocky Hill, N.Y.) came on in relief and allowed the two inherited runners to score on a single to center but then a flyout and a strikeout mercifully ended the inning, but the score was suddenly 12-8.
In the home half, Matt Kroll (Tewksbury, N.J.) and Ethan Keeney (Harwich, Mass.) hit back-to-back one-out singles and while Justin Piskorski (Berlin, Conn.), who pinch ran for Kroll, was caught trying to swipe third on a double steal, Keeney would advance to second with Camelo at the dish. He proceeded to pop one up on the infield but once again the Bristol breeze factored in giving the fielders all kinds of fits as the ball fell in and Keeney crossed the plate getting the cushion back to five.
In the ninth, Fraleigh retired the first two men, but Frechette reached on an error by leftfielder Alec Lavallee (Cumberland, R.I.). Fraleigh would not be bothered by it though as he fanned Shane Foley (East Bridgewater, Mass.) to end the ballgame and secure the team's 13th win in 14 tries.
Coach's Corner
On a day when everyone canceled in New England due to the cold, we gutted it out and got it in. First, I want to thank facilities for making it possible to play this one. It did not look good as the ground started to thaw, but they did a great job to get the field playable.
As for the game, I will start on the mound where Dan Massaro had a day. He dominated BSU line up with ten K's and only allowed one freebee on a hit batsman. He gave us a great opportunity to win. Then, the bullpen came in and picked up where he left off.
On a cold day it is always tough to hit but we strung together 14 hits and put 12 runs on the board, so I am very pleased with how we swung the stick today.
Defensively, we had way too many miscues and we really need to button that up or it is going to cost us down the road. The bottom line is we showed our toughness braving the elements and did enough to win today.
What's Next
Things are slated to heat up tomorrow, and it will not just be the weather as Roger Williams hosts the equally scorching hot Beacons of UMass-Boston to Bristol for a great matchup to continue their big week on Wednesday. First pitch from Paolino Field is set for 3:30 PM.