Springfield, Mass. - March 5, 2022 - The Springfield College baseball team began the 2022 season with a pair of games versus Western New England on Archie Allen Field.  The Pride dropped the opener, 6-2, before falling 6-4 in the second game of the twinbill.

Springfield is back in action on Sunday when it hosts a doubleheader versus Westfield State at 12 pm.

Western New England 6, Springfield 2

Springfield received a great starting pitching performance from Brendan Kirck (Hamden, Conn.) as he allowed just one hit in four innings of work while striking out seven. 

Kirck got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and induced a pop up and delivered a pair of strikeouts to keep the visitors off the scoreboard. Springfield had runners on second and third with no outs in the second, but was unable to get a runner across the plate as the teams would remain scoreless through the first four innings.

However, in the top of the fifth WNE would deliver four runs off three hits, highlighted by a three-run homer to left field by CJ Willis. Springfield would respond in the bottom half when Andrew McCarty (Meriden, Conn.) hit a towering two-out solo shot to right field for the Pride's first run of the season.   The visitors would tack on two insurance runs in the seventh, with Ben Harrison and Willis connecting on back-to-back triples following a leadoff walk by Paul Villecco to make it a 6-1 game. Springfield was able to score one in the bottom of the seventh, as Michael Barrett (Longmeadow, Mass.) cranked a run-scoring double that allowed Noah Diamond (Glastonbury, Conn.) to score. 

Western New England 6, Springfield 4

In the second contest, Jack Cooney (Pittsfield, Mass.) and Mark Nofri (Naugatuck, Conn.) each had a pair of hits and Andrew McCarty crossed the plate twice. 

WNE again benefitted from the long ball in the second contest, as CJ Willis deposited a solo homer over the fence to lead off the second inning.  With runners on second and third, Jake Balderston connected for a sacrifice fly to score Jack Loftus and to give the Golden Bears a 2-0 lead.   Springfield answered with a run in the bottom half as it took advantage of Ryan Sorgi (Braintree, Mass.) reaching on a error to leadoff the frame, which would later lead to Jack Simonetty (Wappinger Falls, N.Y.) producing a sacrifice fly.

With two outs in the fifth, WNE used a run scoring single from Paul Villecco and a three-run homer from Ben Harrison cleared the bases and gave the visitors a 6-1 cushion.  Joe Traversa (Pittsfield, Mass.) led off the bottom half of the fifth with a single and rounded the bases when McCarty belted a triple.  A run-scoring groundout by Cooney allowed McCarty to score as Springfield pulled within 6-3. 

Springfield's seventh inning rally got started when McCarty drew a base on balls, and with two outs, Cadin Maynard (Waterford, Conn.) ripped a single to make it a two-run game. However, WNE was able to seal the win by getting a fly out to center. 

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