Baseball Suffers Setback at Mass. Maritime

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. – Senior Matt Pelletier (Bradford, Mass.) rapped out three hits and drove in a pair of runs to back freshman Alex Rozak's (Plymouth, Mass.) first collegiate win on the mound and lead Massachusetts Maritime to a 7-1 non-league college baseball victory over Wentworth Thursday afternoon at Commodore Hendy Field.
 
The host Buccaneers (14-14) overcame an early 1-0 deficit in the second when junior Bobby Rosano (North Reading, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and third and scored on a throwing error, and Massachusetts Maritime took control of the contest with a four-run third inning rally. Junior Zac Cooney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) led off the frame with a single and advanced on a hit-by-pitch to senior Brendan O'Kane (Pocasset, Mass.), and senior Ben Maher (Plymouth, Mass.) loaded the bases with a one-out walk that came after a 14-pitch at-bat, setting up Pelletier's two-run double down the left field line that gave the hosts the lead for good. Rosano's RBI single and a sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman Aidan Desrosiers (North Attleboro, Mass.) extended the Buccaneer lead to 5-1, and Massachusetts Maritime tacked on a pair of insurance tallies in the seventh on an error and Desrosiers' RBI single to close out the scoring.

Sophomore Sam McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) plated the lone run of the day in the setback for the visiting Leopards (14-16) when he drew a bases loaded walk from Rozak in the top of the first after two-out walks to junior Joe Hulme (Tewksbury, Mass.) and freshman Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.) sandwiched a single by junior Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.), as Wentworth received lead-off singles in three of the ensuing five frames but couldn't capitalize.
 
Rosano, Cooney and sophomore Everett Walsh (Marstons Mills, Mass.) each had two hits as part of a 10-hit attack in the triumph for the Buccaneers, as Rozak settled down after a 30-pitch first inning performance to scatter eight hits and record a strikeout in gaining his first career win. Junior T.J. Notarangelo (Foxboro, Mass.) allowed one hit and fanned three in pitching the final three innings to earn his first save for Massachusetts Maritime, which has now won three straight and completed a two-game season-sweep of Wentworth. Mailman and senior Jon Spitz (Hanover, Mass.) each had two hits as part of a nine-hit Leopard attack in the setback, as freshman Zack Bernier (North Dartmouth, Mass.) allowed seven hits and struck out five over the first 4 2/3 innings to fall to 2-5 on the season for the visitors.
 
Massachusetts Maritime heads to Framingham, Mass. on Saturday afternoon for a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader with Framingham State that begins at 1:00 p.m., while Wentworth heads to Nashua, N.H. on Friday evening to square off with Rivier in a non-league outing beginning at 7:05 p.m.

(Recap courtesy of Mass. Maritime Sports Information)