WORCESTER, Mass. -- The Worcester State baseball team used a seven-run fifth inning to catapult it to a 9-4 win over the MCLA Trailblazers Thursday afternoon in MASCAC action.

 

The Lancers take the opening game of a three series and improve to 14-13 overall and 6-7 in the league.  MCLA dips to 9-19 overall and is 3-10 in the conference.

 

The two teams will wrap up the series Friday at 1 p.m. at Joe Wolfe Field in North Adams. 

 

MCLA opened the scoring in the top of the first when Jake Ferrara singled home Drury graduate Logan Rumbolt for a quick 1-0 lead. The Lancers responded with a pair of runs in the third inning off MCLA starter Mike Urbanski to take a 2-1 advantage.

 

MCLA regained the lead with two runs of their own in the fourth as Dillon Maxon brought home one with a sacrifice fly and another scored on an error giving the Trailblazers a 3-2 lead.

 

The game stayed that way until the pivotal fifth inning.  Worcester State scored seven times to take command.  Michael Ferrara's single tied the game at 3-3 and when Kevin Larkin tripled home Ferrara, the Lancers had the lead for keeps. Worcester State executed a pair of safety squeezes and took advantage of a few Trailblazer miscues to take a 9-3 lead after five innings.  

 

MCLA got a run back in the seventh on Ferrara's RBI knock, but couldn't get any closer as the Lancer bullpen came through.

 

Chris Elliot got the win for WSU going the first six innings and allowing 7 hits and just two earned runs.  PJ Walsh tossed the final three innings and recorded the save. Worcester pounded out 13 hits on the afternoon as Ben Palatino, Larkin, and Kenan Kolanda each had a pair of hits.  Seth Leslie led all players going 3-4 with a run scored.

 

MCLA was led by Ferrara, Christian Seariac, and Dillon Maxon who eac ended with two hits. Urbanski was saddled with the loss going 4.1 innings and allowing 8 earned runs. Max Gabrielly was solid in relief going 3.2 innings and allowing just three hits and a run.