Baseball remains hopeful after closing difficult season

By Taylor Kimmell

Asst. Sports Editor

The Framingham State Rams competed in three conference matches against the Fitchburg State Falcons, dropping game one 10-7 May 1 and splitting a doubleheader May 3, winning the first 6-4 and losing the second 4-3. 

Framingham hosted Fitchburg for the Rams’ Senior Day match for the first of the three-game series. 

The Rams honored three seniors before the opening pitch: Josh Sunderland, Jason Strickland, and Ben Respress.

Sophomore Massimo Mondi said, “The few seniors we had this year had a huge impact on who I am as a person and as a teammate. 

“When I got to campus two falls ago they welcomed me with open arms and I am incredibly grateful to them for becoming my friends. I look forward to doing what they did for me to future freshmen,” he added.

Junior Johnny Lynch said, “The three seniors have been awesome to me. I look at those three as my best friends, and I can’t wait to see what they achieve in the real world.”

Fitchburg’s Jason Kelly hit a single up the middle to open the first inning. He only managed to advance to third, as plays by sophomore Rosco Palmer in right field, Lynch at third base, and Respress on the pitcher’s mound quickly cut the Falcons’ momentum.

Mondi led off for the Rams but grounded out to shortstop. 

Sophomore Christian Cox stepped to the plate next, hitting a double to deep right field. A single by Lynch on the next play allowed Cox to score the first run of the game.

Sophomore Nicholas Kutcher made contact, but a double play by the Falcons ended the first inning.

Fitchburg put up a run at the top of the second after a walked batter was brought in on an RBI to 2nd base.

At the bottom of the second, the Rams fought back for a 3-1 lead, with a double by junior Scott Paquette bringing in runs from Palmer and sophomore Jakob Lindkvist.

After a scoreless third inning on both sides, Fitchburg made a comeback to bring the score to 4-3.

The Rams rallied at the bottom of the fourth, with Paquette and junior Colin Johnson reaching home on a single by Mondi.

Two Respress strikeouts and a catch by Kutcher in left allowed the Rams to hold the Falcons in the fifth.

Framingham’s sole success at-bat during the inning came from Palmer who hit a homer to center.

Innings six, eight, and nine saw a strong string of hits by Fitchburg that allowed six runs to cross the plate.

Mondi scored on a sacrifice fly by Lynch at the bottom of the ninth, but the Rams failed to put up more runs and the match ended 10-7 in favor of the Falcons.

The Rams’ second and third matches against the Falcons took them to Fitchburg on May 3.

Game two started off strong for the Rams with a single by Mondi hit up the middle. Cox followed with a double to right field.

Lynch grounded out to second base, sacrificing an out so Mondi could score the first run of the game.

Kutcher sent a ball to the same spot and grounded out as well, his hit bringing Cox across the plate to bring the score to 2-0 before the inning concluded.

The Falcons made contact twice in the first, but left three runners on base.

Framingham found success in the batter’s box during the second inning as well. The action kicked off with a walk by Lindkvist and a single by Paquette.

A Falcon’s pitching change did little to stop the Rams’ momentum, with Mondi singling to bring Lindkvist across the plate.

Mondi stole second base during the following play, followed by a sacrifice hit by Cox to score Paquette.

Framingham held Fitchburg in the bottom of the second, keeping two runners on base.

Neither team made contact during inning three. Inning four also yielded no success for the Rams.

The Falcons were able to score two runs at the bottom of the fourth, cutting Framingham’s lead to 4-2.

An uneventful fifth inning gave way to a short Rams’ rally in the top of the sixth, started by walks by freshman Zachary Kern and Paquette.

Johnson hit a ground ball to third, getting thrown out but advancing the runners.

With Kern on third and Paquette on second, Mondi sent a ball to left field, his 100th career hit, to score both runners.

Mondi said getting his 100th hit was ”super special, and to be able to do it as a sophomore was really awesome. All I’m trying to do at the plate is put a good swing on the ball and not try to worry too much about the result because I know that hits will come.” 

The Rams held the Falcons for the final two innings, ending the match with a 6-4 victory.

Mondi singled and stole second to kick off game three, crossing the plate on a groundout hit by Lynch.

In the bottom of the first inning, the Falcons scored twice, gaining an early 2-1 lead.

Palmer led off for Framingham at the top of the second, flying out to center field. Kern’s at-bat ended with a play by the Falcons’ shortstop for an out at first base.

Despite success by Lindkvist, who found a gap in Falcons’ right side defense for a single, the inning shortly wrapped up with Paquette’s hit landing in an outfielder’s outstretched glove.

The Falcons broke through the Rams’ defense for another run in the bottom of the second, with a run scored on an RBI double by Fitchburg’s Joseph Abt.

A play by Kern at second base and two strikeouts by freshman pitcher Shaun Marsh ensured the Falcons were held to a 3-1 advantage at the end of the inning.

Framingham’s sole success at the plate during the third came from Mondi, who made it on base for a single.

At the bottom of the inning, Marsh struck out the Falcons’ first batter, Palmer caught the second batter’s pop fly to right field, then Lynch made a throw to Lindkvist at first to snag the third out.

Kutcher made it to second base after hitting a line drive to center, brought in on the next play when Palmer hit an RBI single.

The Falcons tallied three consecutive outs after the Rams scored, but only got through three batters of their own, as two strikeouts by Marsh and a play by Kern quickly brought the game into the fifth inning.

Inning five yielded no runs from either team, but the top of the sixth saw a match-tying run scored by Kutcher on a Palmer single.

Framingham managed to hold Fitchburg at the bottom of the sixth, but ran out of luck at the bottom of the seventh when a Falcons’ runner capitalized on a fielding error to cross the plate, ending the match with a close score of 4-3.

Lynch was awarded a spot on the MASCAC All-Conference First Team, while Cox was named to the MASCAC All-Conference Second Team May 6.

Lynch said it felt good to be recognized by making the conference team, but that he could not have done it without the support of his teammates and coaches. 

Following these games, the Rams conclude their season with a conference record of 6-18 and an overall record of 9-28.

Though the Rams’ record did not reflect their ambition, they are hopeful for the upcoming season.

Mondi said, “It was definitely a tough year for us but I’m proud of the guys that played through injuries. A lot of guys were banged up this season, but did everything they could to stay on the field and I’m so proud of them for that.” 

Lynch said the underclassmen saw a lot of time on the field this season, “so they’ll be ready to go next year. We just need to put all the pieces together. We had a young team this year.”

Mondi said after this season, he hopes “a lot of guys do some personal reflection this off-season into how they can become a better baseball player and a better teammate. 

“We can come back next year with a sense of purpose and a will to win that can carry us to having a better year next year. But top to bottom we all have to get better if we are going to get where we want to go next year,” he added.