BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Baseball team took one of two against Western New England College Saturday afternoon, winning the first 3-1 and falling in the second 10-7.
The Golden Bears got on the board in the top of the first, when Joe Griglun doubled in Tom Bouvier for an early 1-0 lead. That would be all that WNEC could muster, as Brian Hurld (South Boston, Mass.) shut down the Golden Bear offense from that point on.
Hurld held WNEC to only five hits and two walks over seven innings, after getting three runs of support in the bottom of the second. Tim Georgen (Bristol, Conn.) tied the game at one apiece with an RBI groundout to score Alex Perry (Glastonbury, Conn.). Grant Bolin (Simsbury, Conn.) would later follow with a two-RBI double to put the Hawks up for good.
Perry and Tony Verrochi (Norwood, Mass.) each went 1-for-3 with a run scored, while Bolin had a hit and two RBI. For the Golden Bears, Evan Michaud went six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts. Bouvier was 1-for-4 with a run with Griglun adding a hit and an RBI.
In the second game, the Golden Bears struck first again, getting a pair of RBI doubles by Griglun and Andrew Fatse in their opening at bat to take a quick 2-0 lead. The Hawks were able to get one of those runs back in the bottom of the first on Bolin's leadoff home run.
The Hawks would go on to score two in the third, taking the lead on Perry's RBI single. The RWU advantage would last until the fifth, when WNEC scored three in the inning, highlighted by Fatse's second RBI double of the day.
Leading 6-3 entering the seventh, the Golden Bears made it a 10-3 game after putting up four runs in the inning and appeared to be cruising to a win, but the Hawks came back with four runs of their own in their last at-bat. The rally ended with a fly out to right field with the tying run at the plate as WNEC came away with the win.
Mark DiTommaso earned the win for WNEC, improving to 6-0. Fatse finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run, while Griglun went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
Sam Podbelski (East Greenwich, R.I.) suffered the loss, giving up six runs (three earned) in 5.1 innings. Perry finished 2-for-4 with three RBI with Dahill adding a hit, two runs, and two RBI.
Roger Williams (14-14-1, 9-6-1 TCCC) will host New England College Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. while Western New England (21-12, 12-6 TCCC) hosts Colby-Sawyer College Sunday at noon.
