Western New England Rolls to 16-1 Non-Conference Win over Elms

Golden Bears score six runs in first inning, three in second

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 1, 2019) – The Western New England University baseball team put six runs on the board in the first inning and never looked back, as the Golden Bears cruised to a 16-1 non-conference victory over Elms College on Monday afternoon at Trelease Park.

Top Performers
Senior outfielder Joe Cassella (Wallingford, Conn.) led the Golden Bears offensively, going 4-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and three runs scored. 

Senior shortstop Alex Loparco (Riverside, Conn.) finished 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored, while junior second baseman Kevin Johnson (Waterford, Conn.) turned in a 2-for-5 effort with a double and two RBI. Senior infielder Aaron Rios (Stratford, Conn.) was also a key contributor, going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and four RBI

Elms sophomore DH Camden Hart (Leicester, Mass.) accounted for three of the Blazers' eight hits, and senior outfielder Alex Hoss (Stafford Springs, Conn.) went 2-for-4 at the plate.

Game Review
Despite recording just two hits in the opening frame, the Golden Bears raced out to a 6-0 advantage. Loparco and senior Erik Lacaire (Worcester, Mass.) both walked with one out, and Cassella singled to load the bases.

An Elms error allowed the first run of the contest to score, and Blazers' freshman pitcher Pat Krol (Ware, Mass.) then walked Rios with the bases loaded before plunking junior Zac Nussbaum (Bridgewater, Mass.) to bring in two more runs.

After LaCroix came home on a wild pitch, Johnson capped the scoring in the first inning with a two-run double into the gap in left center field.

Western New England extended its lead to 9-0 with three more runs in the third, which scored on an RBI single by Lacaire and a two-run single by LaCroix.

Elms scored its only run of the contest in the top of the third, as junior Will Kennedy (Holyoke, Mass.) led off with a single through the right side of the infield, before eventually crossing the plate on an RBI groundout by junior Josh Pasini (Enfield, Conn.).

Western New England's offense wasn't done, however. Rios recorded a sacrifice fly in the fourth to restore the Golden Bears' nine-run cushion (10-1), and the home team tacked on three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to extend the final margin to 15. 

Notes
• Western New England has scored 10+ runs in four straight games.
• The Golden Bears utilized eight pitchers against the Blazers, with junior lefthander Ryan Searles (Norwalk, Conn.) picking up the win in relief after giving up just one hit over 1.2 frames.

Up Next
Western New England (11-6) travels to Keene State for a non-conference contest on Wednesday, while Elms (2-13) hits the road again on Thursday for a matchup at Rhode Island College.