Bats Stay Hot as Golden Bears Top Brockport, 14-6, for Fourth Straight Win

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (March 13, 2016) - The Western New England University baseball team continued its perfect start to the spring with a 14-6 victory over SUNY Brockport earlier today in non-conference action at the Chain O'Lakes Complex.
 
The Golden Bears enjoyed their best offensive performance thus far this season, racking up 21 hits en route to their fourth consecutive victory to open the 2016 campaign. Eight of Western New England's nine starters posted multi-hit performances, including five players with three-hit efforts.
 
Junior infielder Daniel Morin (Salem, N.H.) led the way, going 3-for-6 with a double, four RBI and two runs scored. Senior second baseman Eduardo Colmenares (Caracas, Venezuela) turned in a 3-for-5 effort with a sacrifice fly, and sophomore infielder Jared Rosenblatt (Avon, Conn.) contributed two hits and three RBI out of the No. 9 spot in the batting order.
 
Western New England continued to get significant production from its freshmen, as the trio of Ben LaCroix (Branford, Conn.), Erik Lacaire (Worcester, Mass.) and Alex Loparco (Riverside, Conn.) combined to go 8-for-16 with three RBI and five runs scored.
 
Sophomore right-hander Jake Kawiecki (Burlington, Conn.) earned the win with five strong innings on the mound, allowing just two runs (one earned) while scattering nine hits and striking out two batters.
 
Senior Greg Ruddy (Troy, N.Y.) sparked the Brockport offense with a 3-for-5 effort out of the leadoff spot, while classmate Chris Davis (Syracuse, N.Y.) also recorded three hits and senior second baseman Wesley Burghardt (Chittenango, N.Y.) went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer.
 
Senior Tyler Clifford (Clifton Park, N.Y.) dropped to 2-1 with the loss after lasting just four innings and allowing six runs (four earned) on nine hits.
 
The Golden Bears got to Clifford for three runs in the top of the first, as senior outfielder Doug Milne (Nesconset, N.Y.) plated LaCroix with a single up the middle, and Morin followed with a two-run single to left field. Each team scored once in the third, and Western New England went up 6-1 in the fourth when LaCroix delivered his second RBI single of the contest before coming around to score on Colmenares' sacrifice fly.
 
After Brockport cut its deficit to four with a run in the fifth, Western New England exploded for five runs in the top of the seventh to claim an 11-2 lead. The Golden Bears recorded seven hits in the frame, highlighted by Morin's two-run double down the left field line and RBI singles from Loparco, Rosenblatt and senior shortstop Kevin Marciano (Pepperell, Mass.).
 
Brockport answered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning, but the Golden Eagles would get no closer, as Western New England extended the final margin to eight with three runs in the top of the eighth.
 
The Golden Bears (4-0) will look to keep their perfect record intact tomorrow morning at 10 AM, when they take on Trinity College at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Florida.