Western New England Scores Three Unanswered Runs to Earn 5-4 Win Over Mount St. Joseph

Golden Bears improve to 4-0 in Florida with comeback victory

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (March 14, 2017) – The Western New England University baseball team came from behind with three unanswered runs to earn a 5-4 victory over Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) University this morning in non-conference action at Chain of Lakes Park.

Top Performers
• Sophomore outfielder Ben LaCroix (Branford, Conn.) reached base three times, going 2-for-4 with a double and a walk while also driving in one run.
• Senior first baseman Daniel Morin (Salem, N.H.) and sophomore outfielder Joe Cassella (Wallingford, Conn.) recorded two hits and one RBI each, while freshman infielder Jamie Schofield (Darien, Conn.) walked and singled twice.
• Making his first start of the season, sophomore left-hander Sean Halligan (North Branford, Conn.) earned the win after striking out five batters over six innings of work and allowing just one earned run on nine hits.
• The Western New England bullpen continued to have success, as four Golden Bear relief pitchers combined to shut out the Lions over the final three innings with senior Jacques Boilard (Brimfield, Mass.) picking up his third save of the season.

• Mount St. Joseph was led by freshman outfielder Kyree Hawkins (Smyrna, Ga.), who went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI out of the No. 9 spot in the batting order.
• Freshman Roman Rothwell went 3-for-4 with a walk and one RBI for the Lions.

Game Review
• Freshman infielder Zac Nussbaum (Bridgewater, Mass.) belted his first career home run over the right field fence in the top of the second inning, giving the Golden Bears an early 1-0 lead.
• Mount St. Joseph answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning however, as Hawkins drove in two with a triple to right field and another run scored on a Western New England fielding error.
• The Golden Bears got one run back in the third on an RBI single by Morin, but the Lions responded immediately with Rothwell's RBI single to restore their two-run advantage.
• Western New England pushed two runs across in the top of the fifth to tie the score at 4-4. After the first two batters reached base, LaCroix doubled down the right field line, scoring freshman outfielder Erik Lacaire (Worcester, Mass.). Junior infielder Jared Rosenblatt (Avon, Conn.) followed with an RBI groundout as the Golden Bears pulled even.
• After leaving the bases loaded in the sixth, Western New England manufactured the game-winning run in the seventh. LaCroix led off the inning with a walk, before moving up to second on a groundout and stealing third. Cassella came up with two outs and singled to right field, scoring LaCroix.
• Senior Andrew Mulvey (Bristol, R.I.) came on in relief for the seventh and worked around a single and two walks, stranding three runners on base, while sophomores Andrew Foley (Wilbraham, Mass.) and Liam Davey (Cheshire, Conn.) combined for a scoreless eighth and Boilard closed  the door on the Lions with a 1-2-3 ninth.  

Notes
• Western New England's bullpen has not allowed a run over the last nine innings, spanning three games.
• Junior catcher Steve Rivela (Hudson, Mass.) walked four times.
• The Golden Bears have recorded 10+ hits in four consecutive games and five of six contests this season.
• Chain of Lakes Park served as the Spring Training home of the Boston Red Sox from 1966-1992 and the Cleveland Indians from 1993-2008.

Up Next
Western New England (5-1), which is 4-0 midway through its eight-game trip at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, will look to keep rolling tomorrow morning as the Golden Bears are set to take on Trinity College at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Fla. First pitch is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.