By Tyler Wahl
Sports Editor
The Framingham State Rams faced off against Westfield State in a MASCAC double-header April 30, falling to the Owls in game one 7-2.
FSU also dropped the second game by an even larger margin to close out their three-game weekend set.
The action started in the bottom of the first inning when sophomore outfielder Ryan Boyle singled a bomb to left center, putting the Rams up 1-0 to start the game.
Scoring resumed in the bottom of the third when Boyle advanced to third base on a wild pitch, scoring junior infielder Robert Johnson.
Framingham State held a 2-0 lead until the top of the fifth inning due to stellar pitching from junior Jack Foley.
Foley made quite an impact with his performance, completely blanking out the Owls for the first four innings. Foley allowed a single hit over the course of four innings and struck out four to top off his performance.
However, the Rams defense eventually faltered in the fifth inning. They allowed a total of six runs in just one inning, including a demoralizing two-run single.
Westfield State held the Rams from scoring again the entire game. Westfield pitcher Ryan Donahue led the Owls defense with a total of 10 strikeouts in the game in only five innings pitched.
The Rams at-bat attempts typically resulted in strikeouts and easily-fieldable grounders for the Owls the majority of the game.
Along with Boyle’s RBI single, sophomore infielder Cameron Gilroy also connected with a hit during this game. Despite their contributions, Donahue still shut out the rest of the team throughout the match.
The Owls were able to put one more point on the board in the top of the seventh inning off a blazing fast single to left-center field.
The game concluded after two scoreless innings, awarding Westfield State with the 7-2 conference win over Framingham State.
Following FSU’s three-game weekend conference set, the Rams sit at 9-23 overall and the Owls sit at 22-12 on the season.
Foley spoke on the team’s struggles after the game adding, “The season hasn’t been exactly how we all wanted it to turn out. We all would’ve liked to have a few more wins under our belts, but the record doesn’t really show how our season has actually gone.”
He also said the team needs to focus on the big innings. The Rams let up a total of six runs in one inning during this game, and it’s something Foley knows they need to work on.
Foley said, “All year one of our biggest problems has been competing all game and letting the game go in just one inning.”
He also spoke on the team’s strengths adding, “The next few years will be very exciting as everyone gains experience and gets better.
Another big strength is the team atmosphere. Compared to years before, it’s day and night. Everyone gets along, the chemistry is great, and there is good camaraderie between all the guys.”
The Rams look to close out their season strong against Fitchburg State in conference action May 7.