By Tyler Wahl
The Rams baseball team faced off against Emerson College on April 20, out-slugging the Lions 21-2 on Bowditch Field.
In this non-conference game, Emerson got out to a hot start in the first inning with two easy runs scored early in the game.
Despite the Lion’s successful first inning, the Rams easily bounced back with a home run to right field by Junior outfielder Chris Iannetta.
Iannetta not only set the pace for the Rams in this game with his initial homerun, he also went 5-5 at the plate for the game, bringing in four more runs throughout the match.
Emerson had a relatively solid defensive start to this game, only letting up one run through the course of two innings.
The final score after two innings gave Emerson a one point advantage heading into the third. The Lions never saw another point tallied to their total for the rest of the game.
Between the third and fourth innings, Framingham State was able to rattle o1 an astounding 14 runs and hold the Lions with zero runs scored.
In the bottom of the third, a slew of players on the Rams contributed to their high-scoring offensive inning.
Sophomore outfielder Ryan Boyle started it o1 with a line-drive single, bringing Iannetti in for the first score of the inning.
Freshman outfielder Lucas Basile followed up with a double of his own, scoring two more Rams on the play. Directly following Basile’s hit, freshman shortstop Steven Burbank singled one to center field, allowing Basile to score.
Burbank then ran home after a blazing fast single sent sophomore infielder Cameron Gilroy to first base.
The inning concluded and Framingham State amassed a six run lead through the course of one short inning.
The Rams proved their seven runs were not a fluke, replicating their near-perfect third inning statline in the fourth.
Freshman pitcher Jorgell Diaz quickly sent the Lions offense back to the dugout on a strikeout and two easily fieldable grounders.
Framingham State’s offense in the fourth inning closely mirrored the previous. Iannetta, Gilroy, and Basile all contributed with hits and runs.
The Rams climbed to a 15-2 lead by the end of the fourth, refusing to take their foot o1 the gas pedal in the upcoming innings.
Diaz continuously held o1 the Lions for the next three innings with his pitching, and the Rams offense showed their dominance adding six more runs to their tally by the seventh inning.
The game was called before the bottom of the seventh started, awarding the FSU Rams with the 21-2 win over Emerson College.
Iannetta was the Rams highest scorer against Emerson, and rallied his team on offense after his initial homerun to start the game.
After the game he said, “Coach has a great plan for us to win games and we have a great group of guys who have been sticking to the process, and it’s been starting to show lately which is great.”
Four-year head baseball coach Sean Callahan seems to have a great relationship with his team which is not entirely unconnected from the team’s chemistry as a whole.
Iannetta added, “I feel great about the team chemistry right now. We had a tough schedule to start the year but we really came together as a team and we are starting to piece it together now.”
The dominant win over Emerson is a great way for the team to start the latter half of the season. Although it wasn’t a conference matchup, the confidence boost is something the team looks to take with them going forward.
Iannetta said, “It’s going to be huge for us to carry this performance and our last couple of
performances into the rest of the season. This part of the season is when it really counts and we have just started playing our best baseball, and I am confident in our guys to keep it going.”
The Rams look to continue their momentum in an important conference matchup vs. Worcester State April 22.