Wetmore’s No-Hitter Highlights Western New England’s Season-Opening Split with SUNY Old Westbury

Sophomore strikes out six batters in program's first no-hitter since 2013.

YAPHANK, N.Y. (March 5, 2017) – Sophomore right-hander Paul Wetmore (Hamden, Conn.) recorded Western New England University's first no-hitter since 2013 as the Golden Bears opened their 2017 campaign with a doubleheader split against SUNY Old Westbury today at the Baseball Heaven Complex.

The Panthers rallied from several late deficits before walking off with a 10-9, extra inning victory over the Golden Bears in the opener. Wetmore's no-hit performance helped Western New England salvage a split with a 2-0 triumph in game two.

SUNY Old Westbury 10, Western New England 9 (9 Innings)

Top Performers
• Sophomore outfielder Erik Lacaire (Worcester, Mass.) and senior first baseman Daniel Morin (Salem, N.H.) led the Golden Bears at the plate, going a combined 6-for-11 with four runs scored, four doubles and two RBI.
• Sophomore Aaron Rios (Stratford, Conn.) walked twice and drove in a team-high three runs in his impressive Western New England debut, while junior Jared Rosenblatt (Avon, Conn.) went 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI.

• Senior shortstop Tommy Ziegen (Glen Cove, N.Y.) powered the SUNY Old Westbury offense, going 3-for-4 with a walk, a triple, three RBI and one run scored. Senior outfielder Kevin Lao (Floral Park, N.Y.) doubled and drove in two runs, while junior David Hawley (Freeport, N.Y.) reached base three times with two hits and a walk while also scoring a game-high four runs.

Game Review
• Western New England, which plated two runs in the top of the first on Morin's RBI double to left field and Rosenblatt's sacrifice fly, led 3-1 after three frames.
• The Panthers used a run-scoring throwing error and Lao's RBI double to tie the contest in the bottom of the fifth.
• Sophomore infielder Alex Loparco (Riverside, Conn.) led off the top of the sixth inning with a single before eventually coming around to score the go-ahead run on a passed ball. The Golden Bears tacked on two more runs in the frame as Rosenblatt delivered an RBI single and junior catcher Steve Rivela (Hudson, Mass.) drew a walk with the bases loaded.
• Ziegen came through with a two-out, three-run triple in the bottom half of the inning, and the Panthers would go on to erase deficits in both the seventh and eighth innings before walking off with a dramatic win on a Western New England fielding error in the ninth.

Notes
• The Panthers outhit the Golden Bears 15-11.
• SUNY Old Westbury utilized four pitchers that issued a combined 13 walks.
• Western New England sophomore left-hander Bob Hamel (Southwick, Mass.), the reigning Commonwealth Coast Conference and ECAC New England Rookie of the Year, struck out six batters and walked just one over 4.2 innings while allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits.

Western New England 2, SUNY Old Westbury 0

Top Performers
• Wetmore was the story in game two, as the sophomore struck out six batters and walked four during his 96-pitch, no-hit performance. Wetmore, who pitched just 9.2 innings over six appearances as a freshman last spring, is the third Golden Bear to accomplish the feat over the past 13 seasons. Trevor Breton was the last to do so, striking out nine batters in a 7-0 win over Nichols in 2013, while Jason Connelly registered a five-inning no-hitter in a rain shortened win over Norwich in 2005.
• Rosenblatt provided Wetmore with all of the run support he would need with a two-run double in the top of the first inning.

Game Review
• Lacaire singled up the middle with one out in the top of the first, and sophomore Ben LaCroix (Branford, Conn.) followed with a walk. After Morin went down swinging for the second out of the frame, Rosenblatt doubled down the left field line, scoring both Lacaire and LaCroix.
• Wetmore recorded a pair of 1-2-3 innings and never allowed a runner to get past second base during his shutout effort. The sophomore struck out SUNY Old Westbury senior Tyler Roberts (Howard Beach, N.Y.) looking to complete the no-hitter.

Notes
• Lacaire, who went 3-for-3 with a walk and a run in game two, finished the day with six hits and four runs. The sophomore was the only Golden Bear to post multi-hit efforts in both contests.
• Freshman Jon Hogg (Delmar, N.Y.) reached base twice with a walk and a single out of the No. 9 spot in the batting order.

Up Next
Western New England (1-1) heads south on Friday for an eight-game trip at the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational. The Golden Bears open the trip on Friday, March 10 against Illinois Wesleyan.