WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State first-year Nick Marshall (Reading, Mass.) belted a home run and three runs batted in as the Owls won the series opening game against Gettysburg, 10-1, on a Friday afternoon from Kirchhoff Field in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
The victory pushes the Owls to 5-1 on the season, while the Bullets drop to 3-8 overall.
Marshall was in the middle of the scoring in a five-run second inning that saw the Owls feast off of early miscues by Gettysburg. A pair of consecutive errors by the Bullets led to two runs scored by Westfield to jump out to a quick 3-0 lead. Marshall extended the inning with a two-out two-RBI single to right field to plate Zack Graveline (Prospect, Conn.) and Trey Faulkner (Springfield, Mass.). Graduate student Max Silverman (Westford, Mass.) followed on the next at bat with a run scoring single of his own to score Casey Boudreau (Shrewsbury, Mass.) to extend the lead to 6-0 midway through the second inning.
Senior shortstop Damien Maniscalco (Branford, Conn.) contributed to the Owls two-out hitting success an inning later, adding an RBI double to drive in Graveline and put the Owls up 7-0.
Westfield would turn to senior Shane Bogli (Vernon, Conn.) on the mound, as the right-hander cruised through the first four frames, allowing just two hits without allowing a run. He would eventually run into trouble in the sixth inning as the Bullets loaded up the bases with just one out and trailing by seven runs. Bogli would mitigate the damage by striking out the next hitter and then forcing a ground out to eliminate the scoring threat.
In the ensuing frame, Marshall led off the inning by launching a solo home run to left-center field to put the Owls up 9-1. Westfield tacked on an additional run in the ninth inning to reach the ten-run plateau for the third time in their first six games.
Bogli recorded his second victory of the season in as many starts, tossing seven innings while allowing one run on six hits. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. Bogli has allowed just three runs in 15 innings pitched this season.
Gettysburg junior starter Ken Spadaccini (Cresskill, N.J.) took the loss for the Bullets, allowing seven runs (two earned) across two innings. First-year Connor Stewart (Hickory, N.C.) was the bulk reliever for Gettysburg, firing six innings and allowing three runs on nine hits.
Marshall and Maniscalco each had multi-hit days for the Owls, recording four of the ten runs scored by Westfield. Graveline added run-scoring hits in the third and fifth innings.
Junior Preston Toothman (Orlando, Fla.) entered the game in the third inning for the Bullets and was the team's most productive hitter as he recorded two hits and their only RBI of the contest.
The Owls were locked in at the plate on the afternoon, striking out only twice in 39 plate appearances.
Westfield State will stay in Gettysburg for a doubleheader with the Bullets that is tentatively scheduled to begin tomorrow at 11:00 A.M. pending weather conditions.