Falcons collect ninth victory of the year behind complete game effort from Russo

FITCHBURG, Mass. (April 26, 2012) – The Fitchburg State baseball team collected its ninth win of the season, defeating the visiting Hawks of Becker College, 10-5 in non-conference action this afternoon.

The Falcons received a stellar performance from senior pitcher Perry Russo (E. Hartford, Conn./E. Hartford), who picked up the win with a nine-inning, complete game effort. Russo limited Becker to just one earned run and scattered six hits, while fanning a season-high nine batters.

Fitchburg State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the opening frame on RBI hits from Cody Bamforth (Vernon, Conn./Rockville) and Andrew Dirga (Granville, N.Y./Granville) but the Hawks cut the Falcon lead to 3-1 in the second inning with a run scoring single from Austin Phillips (Thomson, Ga./Thomson).

The Falcons would make it 5-1 in the third inning on a pair of RBI hits by senior Jake Alves (Gloucester, Mass./Gloucester) and classmate Will Comerford (Ayer, Mass./Ayer) before expanding their lead (9-1) with a four run rally in the fifth, capped by a two run single from Bamforth. Becker cut the deficit to 9-3 in the sixth inning on a two run base knock by Shaun Millerick (Hampton, N.H./Berwick Academy) but Fitchburg State put the game away in the eighth (10-5) as Dirga brought home the tenth Falcon run with an RBI single to left center. 

Bamforth paced the Falcons 13 hit attack with a 2-for-5 effort, including a double and three RBI, while Dirga finished with a pair of singles and pair of RBI. Senior Frank Yavorosky (Westminster, Mass./Narragansett) and junior Jeff Boice (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) were also solid with two hits apiece.

Millerick led the Hawks offensively, going 2-for-4, with a pair of RBI, while Phillips finished with an RBI single. Freshman Brian Dowling (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck) suffered the loss for Becker, allowing nine runs (four earned) on nine hits, with one strikeout.

Fitchburg State (9-26, 2-10 MASCAC) returns to action on Saturday as it hosts Westfield State at 12 p.m. Becker (16-18, 9-6 NECC) will visit Lesley University on Saturday at 12 p.m.