Bats Stay Hot & Bullpen Shines as Golden Bears Edge McDaniel, 7-6

Western New England piles up season-high 17 hits, bullpen holds Green Terror scoreless over final four innings

LAKELAND, Fla. (March 12, 2017) – Strong performances from the offense and bullpen lifted the Western New England University baseball team to a 7-6 victory over McDaniel College this morning in non-conference action at Lake Bonny Park's Robert Fletcher Field.

Top Performers
• Sophomore outfielder Ben LaCroix (Branford, Conn.) led Western New England's 17-hit attack, going 4-for-5 at the plate with a solo home run and the go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning.
• Freshman infielder Jamie Schofield (Darien, Conn.) registered the first multi-hit performance of his career with a 3-for-5 effort.
• Sophomore second baseman Alex Loparco (Riverside, Conn.) followed up yesterday's five-hit performance with two more today, including a two-run homer in the second inning.
• Western New England's bullpen helped seal the victory with four more shutout frames. Freshman right-hander Matt Vigliotti (Verplanck, N.Y.) earned his second win in as many appearances after tossing a pair of scoreless innings, while sophomore Liam Davey (Cheshire, Conn.) turned in a perfect eighth and senior Jacques Boilard (Brimfield, Mass.) struck out two batters in the ninth to secure his second save of the season.

• McDaniel graduate student outfielder Nick Valori (Sewell, N.J.) reached base four times with two singles and two walks while also driving in a pair of runs and scoring one.  
• Junior Antonio Rosanova (Laurel, Md.) and freshman Evan Finch (Laurel, Md.) chipped in with two hits and one RBI each for the Green Terror.

Game Review
• After leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning, Western New England broke out for five runs on five hits in the second. Sophomore outfielder Joe Cassella (Wallingford, Conn.) opened the scoring with a two-run double down the right field line, which plated junior Jared Rosenblatt (Avon, Conn.) and freshman Zac Nussbaum (Bridgewater, Mass.). Loparco came up next and doubled the Golden Bears' lead with his two-run shot to left field, and two batters later sophomore Erik Lacaire (Worcester, Mass.) made it 5-0 with a sacrifice fly.
• The Green Terror erased their deficit in the top of the third, however, tying the score with five runs on five hits. After a leadoff walk, Rosanova got McDaniel on the board with an RBI double down the left field line. Rosanova came in to score two batters later on a single up the middle by senior Eric Grantland (Pasadena, Md.), before Valori drove in two more runs with another single and Finch capped the rally with an RBI base hit to center field.
• McDaniel pulled ahead in the fourth with the help of a Western New England error, but the Golden Bears tied the game for the second time in the fifth on LaCroix's leadoff homer to right field.
• LaCroix came up with another key hit in the sixth, giving Western New England the lead for good with an RBI single up the middle.
• Vigliotti, who got out of the sixth with a double play, stranded a pair of runners on base in the seventh before Davey worked a 1-2-3 eighth. The Green Terror threatened in the ninth, as Rosanova led off with a single before stealing second and third, but Boilard struck out the final two batters to seal the victory for the Golden Bears.

Notes
• Western New England piled up a season-high 17 hits, its third straight 10+ hit effort and fourth overall this season.
• Six different Golden Bears posted multi-hit efforts.
• Loparco leads the team with 11 hits through five games this season.

Up Next
Western New England (4-1), which is now 3-0 at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, will be off tomorrow before returning to action on Tuesday morning against Mount St. Joseph University at Chain O'Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla. First pitch is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.