Baseball’s comeback bid against Salem St. falls short
- Kyra Tolley
- Apr 25
- 3 min read
By Kyra Tolley Asst. Sports Editor The Framingham State baseball team played a home-field doubleheader against the Salem State University Vikings April 21, with 19-16 and 15-2 losses. Despite the results, standout performances from Captain Lucas Basile, a senior, freshman Rosco Palmer, and seniors Danny Robichaud and Dane Frellick mounted a dramatic comeback in the first game of the day to nearly overcome a 13-run deficit. The team’s conference record stands at 5-10, and their overall record is 7-23. The first two innings of the day saw two runs tallied by Framingham and one by Salem. Unfortunately for the Rams, their pitches rang off the Vikings’ bats relentlessly over the next two innings. Salem scored seven runs in the third inning and eight in the fourth, while Framingham scored only one, which brought the score to 16-3. The Vikings scored three more runs in the top of the fifth, but the Rams found a rhythm with their at bats in the bottom of the inning. Basile said, “As a leader, I do my best to keep a level head and lead by example. I did my best to encourage the guys to ‘stay in the game’ despite the deficit.” A single by Captain Steven Burbank, a senior, put the Rams’ first runner on base and was followed by Frellick’s single to advance Burbank to second. With Burbank and Frellick on base, Robichaud singled to left field, securing an RBI as Burbank crossed home plate. Basile stepped up to the plate and doubled to give Frellick and Robichaud one run each. To continue Framingham’s rally, Palmer hit an RBI double, scoring Basile. After Framingham’s third out, the fifth inning ended 19-7 in favor of the Vikings. For the final two innings of the game, only the Rams’ efforts would result in runners crossing home plate. In the top of the sixth, Salem evaded Framingham’s fielders, putting two runners on base with scoring in sight, but a double play and sophomore Tyler Wong’s pitching kept the Vikings at bay. In the bottom of the sixth, the Rams quickly loaded the bases with only one out counted against them. Freshman Jakob Lindkvist stepped up to bat and hit a ground ball to Salem’s shortstop, who attempted a double play, but two runners scored due to a throwing error by the second baseman. With just Lindkvist on base, Robichaud successfully hit the ball, sending it soaring over the fence for a two-run homer. The Rams got two more runners on base but were unable to take advantage of their momentum before getting a third out. The sixth inning ended 19-11. Salem went scoreless in the top of the seventh, but the Rams started the bottom of the inning with two outs and two walks. Freshman Pete Rubini, who came in as a pinch hitter, hit an RBI single. A throwing error on the next play allowed Robichaud to reach first base and Rubini to score. With two on base, Basile hit a two-RBI double, allowing Robichaud and Rubini to score. Palmer then hit an RBI single to bring Basile home. After the Rams’ third out, the game ended 19-16 in favor of the Vikings. The second game of the day saw Framingham lose 15-2, only getting runs on the board in the first and last innings. With games against just two conference opponents remaining, Basile said, “It’s been an honor leading the guys this season. I’ve come to know and love this team despite our record.” The Rams defeated Dean College 18-7 and Curry College 14-12 in two non-conference away games April 23 and April 24. Their next matchup is at home against the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buccaneers April 25.
