Baseball Remains Perfect at Home in Conference Play

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 10, 2022) – The Western New England baseball team was able to take both game from the Fighting Scots of Gordon College, 8-3 in game one, and 14-4 in eight innings in game two to sweep the twinball and move back to .500 on the season in CCC play at 3-3. 

Records:

• Western New England: 12-8, 3-3 CCC
• Gordon College: 6-18, 1-5 CCC

Game One: Western New England 8, Gordon College 3

Vincent Caccavale started the scoring for the Golden Bears in the bottom of the second inning after Golden Bears starting pitcher Kevin Hummer worked out of a jam in the top of the second inning to keep the Fighting Scots at bay. Jake Balderston would score the game's first run after Caccavale singled up the middle to give Western New England a 1-0 lead. Cody Waterbury would continue the scoring for WNE in the bottom of the third when he was able to slap a ball to center field, scoring both Sean Jamieson and Ben Harrison after Harrison was hit by a pitch and Jamieson singled to third base prior to Waterbury's at bat. Western New England would take a 3-0 lead out of the third inning. 

Hummer would set the Fightning Scots down in order in the fourth, dialing up all three outs by a way of the K. The next run for WNE came in the bottom of the 6^th when Caccavale singled through the left side of the infield to score Waterbury, giving WNE a 4-0 lead. A bases loaded walk issues by Gordon College would send in another run for Western New England, taking a 5-0 lead after six. In the 7^th, Gordon College would pick up their first runs of the contest after a fielder's choice went wrong for WNE as all runners would be called safe on the play and a throwing error would send in an extra run, giving the Fighting Scots two quick runs. A groundout would see another run score for Gordon, giving WNE a 5-3 lead. 

The two-run lead wouldn't last long, as WNE would come alive with the bats in the bottom of the 7^th, as both Villecco and Balderston would connect for extra base hits and RBIs to score two additional runs for the Golden Bears, giving WNE a 7-3 lead. One final run in the 8^th would be all WNE needed to take the first game of the doubleheader, as Jamieson would score CJ Willis on an RBI single to give the Golden Bears a five-run lead. Kyle Roberts would close the door on the Fighting Scots in the 9^th, securing the win for Western New England by a final score of 8-3. 

Around the Boxscore:

• SP Kevin Hummer went the first eight innings, giving up three unearned runs while walking none and striking out five. 
• Sean Jamieson went four for five in the contest, scoring a run and an RBI. 
• Vincent Caccavale and Cody Waterbury also contributed for two hits each, combining for three RBIs. 

Game Two: Western New England 14, Gordon College 4

The Fighting Scots came away with the first run in the second game, as an RBI to center field scored a run for Gordon, as they quickly went ahead 1-0. The Fighting Scots would come away with the first two runs of the game off SP Robert Zawacki, grabbing a run on a fielder's choice to go up 2-0. Western New England would come away with the tying runs in the bottom of the second after Kohtaro Shimada slapped a double the left field line to score Aaron Cole and Cody Waterbury to tie the game. CJ Willis would come away with a double to left field to score both Vincent Caccavale and Shimada to give WNE a 4-2 lead. 

WNE wouldn't miss a beat with the bats from there, but not before the Fighting Scots would tie the game again in the top of the third when a triple to the deepest part of the ballpark would score two to even the score. WNE would continue to score runs and take the lead again as Aaron Cole would double to left field, picking up two RBIs. Paul Villecco would single to center field in the bottom of the fifth to score another WNE run. The WNE bullpen would shut down the Fighting Scots bats, giving up just four hits and five innings, giving up no runs while walking one and striking out two. 

CJ Willis would crank a two-run shot to center field in the bottom of the 6^th to give the Golden Bears a 9-4 lead. WNE would finish the game with five runs in the bottom of the 8^th to take a 14-4 win over the Fighting Scots, sweeping Gordon College in doubleheader action. 

Around the Field: 

• In the second game of the afternoon, CJ Willis went 3-5 at the plate, scoring two runs and picking up five RBIs.
• Aaron Cole also shined, picking up three hits for three RBIs for WNE. 
• The Western New England bullpen shut down the Fighting Scots, giving up just four hits in five innings. 

Up Next on the Schedule:

• Western New England hosts Elms College in non-conference play on Tuesday, April 12 at 3:30 pm. 
• Gordon returns home to host Endicott College on the same date in CCC play.