BRISTOL, R.I.- The RWU Baseball team fell one win shy of reaching The Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship game after defeating host Western New England College, 9-8, in Saturday afternoon’s first contest, but suffering an 8-4 loss in game two.
A two-out double in the top of the ninth inning by freshman Tim Georgen (Bristol, Conn.) scored junior Grant Bolin (Simsbury, Conn.) who had reached on a single and proceeded to steal both second and third base. A failed double-steal attempt ended the Hawks’ half of the inning with RWU ahead 9-8.
In the bottom of the ninth, junior Billy Dunn (Fiskdale, Mass.) stepped onto the mound in relief for the Hawks and struck out the first two batters before forcing a ground out to end the game and hand the Golden Bears their first loss of the TCCC double-elimination playoffs.
The second game served as an elimination game for the loser and would propel the winner into the TCCC Finals. Western New England College started strong, scoring one run in each of the first three innings. An RWU error allowed for three unearned runs in the fourth, giving the Golden Bears a commanding 6-0 lead.
RWU rallied in the eighth inning with three runs of its own, helped by back-to-back doubles by seniors Jamie Dahill (South Boston, Mass.) and Kevin Simpson (Londonderry, N.H.). But a strong WNEC team responded in the bottom of the inning, helped again by an RWU error, scoring two runs on two hits.
Simpson’s sacrifice fly to score Bolin in the ninth was not enough to complete the comeback and the Hawks suffered the 8-4 loss.
WNEC continues in the postseason, traveling to Curry College Sunday for a 1 p.m. winner-take-all contest. Curry advanced to the title game with back-to-back wins Saturday over Endicott.
Though its title hopes are over, RWU remains in action, traveling to Willimantic, Conn., Tuesday, to face Eastern Connecticut State University in a 7 p.m. game under the lights.