Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Western New England University swept visiting Gordon College, 12-2 and 8-2, on Senior Day Saturday at Pat Ricci Field at Trelease Park, clinching a share of the regular season title and the top seed in next week's 2013 Commonwealth Coast Conference Baseball Championship. The Golden Bears improve to 27-9 overall and finished atop the CCC standings tied with Endicott College at 15-1. (The Gulls won twice today at Salve Regina, 15-2 and 23-3.) The Fighting Scots, meanwhile, fall to 16-19 with one game left on the season and 5-11 in the CCC.

Western New England was able to put the first game out of reach early, erupting for eight runs in the second inning. Junior center fielder Jeff Schult, who doubled to lead off the first inning, cleared the bases with a triple to give the Golden Bears a quick 4-0 lead. Senior shortstop Kyle McKelvey would add a two-run single, and senior left fielder Taylor Perun followed that with an RBI single to left field. Western New England led 9-0 after two innings, before winning by double digits.

In addition to the impressive 13-hit offensive output, Golden Bears starting pitcher Mike Lospinuso (7-1) held his own on the mound as well. The senior went five innings, allowing only five hits and one earned run while striking out nine in the win. Schult (2-4, 3 RBI), senior third baseman Mike Rubino (2-3, RBI), and freshman catcher Tim Budd (2-2, 2 RBI, 2 R) all had a great game for Western New England, and junior reliever Ryan Skelly closed out the contest with a scoreless ninth.

Fighting Scots starter Ryan Block (Fr./Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) struggled mightily, getting through only 1-1/3 innings while giving up nine earned runs. Right fielder Eric Rinaldi (Fr./Torrington, Conn.) was the lone bright spot offensively in the first game, going 2-for-3 at the plate.

As in game one, Western New England got great starting pitching in the nightcap--this time from junior Brendan Nugent. Nugent went five strong innings, giving up only one earned run and striking out two. Sophomore Nick Salerno and senior Kevin Jefferis each pitched an inning of scoreless relief to hold Gordon to two runs.

In between games, the coaching staff recognized the 10-member senior class--co-captain Matt Anthonis, Tom Booth, co-captain Tim Clark, Casey Dadio, Jefferis, Lospinuso, McKelvey, Perun, Jeff Richardson and Rubino--for their contributions to the WNE program that includes three CCC championships, 141 victories and one World Series among three NCAA tournament berths.

With Western New England leading 5-2 heading into the sixth, the Golden Bears were able to score three times in the inning on a triple by Rubino, and singles by sophomore designated hitter Steve Buckley and Perun. Schult, who went 2-4 in game one, added two more hits in the second with one RBI. Rubino (2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R) and junior first baseman Steve Ambrosino (2-4, RBI) led the 11-hit attack for WNE in the game two victory.

Following two runs by WNE in the first, the Fighting Scots were able to even the score in the third thanks to RBI singles by catcher Cody Davey (Fr./Plymouth, Mass.) and shortstop Brian Harrington (Sr./Shoreham, N.Y.). The Golden Bears would score the final six runs for the final six-run margin. First baseman Alex Potocki  (Fr./New Fairfield, Conn.) (2-3) was the only Gordon player with two hits in the second game of the twinbill.

Western New England wraps up the regular season Monday at Babson, before opening up the CCC tournament as the No. 1 seed on Thursday. The Fighting Scots return home Tuesday to play the final game of their 2013 campaign, hosting St. Joseph’s (Maine) at 3:30 p.m.

Release courtesy of WNE sports information.