Springfield, Mass. - March 7, 2026 - The Springfield College baseball team took down Worcester State in a Saturday afternoon game on Archie Allen Field, 12-6.
Springfield improves to 2-1 on the season as Worcester State starts its season at 0-1.
Leadoff hitter Chris Balchius (Norwalk, Conn.) went 4-for-4 with three runs scored, a double and a triple. Nate Garafalo (Kinderhook, N.Y.) and Jack Dunaisky (Longmeadow, Mass.) had three hits apiece, notched a double each and brought in two runs each as Garafalo scored once and Dunakisky scored three times. Michael Lepere (Beacon, N.Y.) was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a home run.
The Pride's pitching staff combined for seven strikeouts as Ryan Delaney (Ellington, Conn.) took the win on the mound.
Springfield got on the board in the first as Tyler Casey (Wallingford, Conn.) singled to left field to bring home Lepere who got on with a walk. Garafalo was then brought in as Aiden Palen (East Hampton, Conn.) reached first on an error from the Lancers to take a 2-0 lead.
With two outs in the bottom of the second, Lepere hit a three-run home run bringing in Balchius and Dunaisky to extend the lead to five.
In the top of the third, Worcester State strung together some hits and a walk to generate three runs before adding another in the top of the fourth to cut the Pride's lead and make it 5-4. In the bottom of the fourth, Springfield added one more after Nicholas Lloyd (Easthampton, Mass.) brought in Dunaisky with a single to right field.
After a scoreless fifth, a double from Balchius got the Pride going before Lloyd reached on an error and then stole second for Garafalo to hit a two-out, two-run double to give Springfield an 8-4 lead.
The Lancers added two more in the seventh before the Pride exploded sparked by a double from Dunaisky that brought in Dan Surette (Braintree, Mass.) and Anthony Boniello (Bethel, Conn.) while Dunaisky capitalized on Worcester State errors and made it home. Balchius then tripled to center field and was brought home by a sacrifice fly from Kyle Mitchell (Wallingford, Conn.) as the Pride took the win, 12-6.
Springfield plays host to Williams tomorrow for a doubleheader beginning at 12:30 pm.
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