WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Westfield State University baseball team split a doubleheader with Roger Williams (R.I.) University on Thursday, March 15, at Chain of Lakes field.

Westfield dropped the first game, 4-1, and won the second game, 7-2.

Westfield evened its record at 4-4 and Roger Williams is 4-5. The Owls play Vassar College of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on Friday.

After having its bats silenced for most of the opener, the Owls jumped out to a 5-0 first-inning lead in the second game. Westfield rapped four hits in the inning and also had a walk and a hit batter.

Matt Kelly and Andrew Medeiros produced run-scoring singles to open the scoring then freshman second baseman Bobby Wagner ripped a two RBI single. Westfield scored its fifth run on a sacrifice fly by Jeremy Tanquay.

The Owls were held hitless over the next three innings then scored two runs on three hits in the fifth to take a 7-1 lead. Wagner laced an RBI single and Medeiros clubbed a run-scoring double.

Medeiros was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, two RBI and a double in Westfield's eight-hit attack. Wagner was 2 for 3 with three RBI.

Senior Aaron Messier went the distance for the pitching victory. Messier pitched out of several jams and was aided by three double plays. He gave up eight hits and two walks and struck out four.

In the opener, Roger Williams scored two unearned runs on a hit and two errors in the first inning followed by two more runs in the second.

Roger Williams southpaw pitcher Sean Boyle scattered six hits and struck out seven in six and a third innings. He walked one.

Alex Cloutier was 2 for 4 for the Owls.