Westfield, Mass. – April 22, 2014 - The Springfield College baseball team scored twice in the top of the ninth inning to edge out host Westfield State University, 5-4 on Tuesday. For the Pride, it was the sixth-straight win.

With a tie game heading into the ninth inning, Springfield picked up a pair of runs from Billy Peterson (Wareham, Mass.) and Frank Calabrese (East Longmeadow, Mass.) to go ahead 5-3. The Owls scored one run in the bottom of the ninth, on a pinch hit, RBI triple from Zach Clifford, but the Pride held on for the win.

At the plate, Springfield was led by Steve Starr (Lebanon, Conn.) who went 3-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI. Shane O’Leary (Kings Park, N.Y.), Dan Bergami (Schenectady, N.Y.) and Sean Smith (Broken Arrow, Okla.) each tallied two hits, while O’Leary also scored twice and Bergami and Smith drove in one run apiece.

Jack Baldwin (Westhampton, Mass.) (1-0) earned the win on the mound for Springfield, allowing two hits and one run in 1.2 innings of work. The Pride’s pitching staff of Mitchell Goldman (Uxbridge, Mass.), Ben Bohlke (Nanuet, N.Y.), Corey Wilcox (Montville, Conn.) and Baldwin combined for a four-hit effort.

Springfield improves to 18-11 with the win while Westfield State falls to 13-15-1 with the loss.

OÂ'Leary opened the top of the ninth by drawing a walk and advancing to second on Billy PaskowskiÂ's (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) second sacrifice hit of the game. Jared Hopkins (Cranston, R.I.) ripped a single to right field and OÂ'Leary was held at third base. Starr was intentionally walked to load the bases and the Pride took a 4-3 lead when Peterson walked on four straight pitches. Calabrese then hit sacrifice fly to deep left field, which scored the eventual game-winning run.

Springfield took a 1-0 first-inning lead. Starr led off with a double and scored on a two-out single by Smith.

Westfield was retired in order in the first three innings then rapped four hits in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead on a two-run single by D.J. Bishop.

Springfield tied the score with a run in the sixth. Calabrese led off with a double, was sacrificed to third and scored on BergamiÂ's single.

The Owls regained the lead, 3-2, in the bottom of the sixth. Tim Santilli and Danny DiMatteo opened with singles and advanced to second and third on BishopÂ's sacrifice hit. Kyle Colesanti plated Santilli with a sacrifice fly.

Springfield again tied the score with a seventh-inning run. OÂ'Leary led off with a bad hop infield single and advanced to third on bunts by Paskowski and Hopkins. Starr then stroked a two-out RBI single through the right side. 

The Pride will now prepare for the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) semifinal on Saturday. No. 2 Springfield will square off with No. 3 MIT in a best-of-three series. The two teams will play at noon and 3:00 p.m. on Berry-Allen Field.