Barnes Raps Record Six Hits In Big Win

WESTFIELD, Mass. - Westfield State senior outfielder Nate Barnes rapped out a school-record six hits to help power Westfield State to an 18-1 win over Elms College in a non-conference baseball game at Mackenzie Stadium in Holyoke on Tuesday night.

Westfield State, which received votes in this week's New England poll, improved to 16-4 on the season with the win.

Westfield sent 10 men to the plate and scored five runs in the top of the third inning to break the game open. Anthony Crowley hammered a 3-run double off the wall in right center field, and Colin Dunn followed with a pop fly to right that dropped for a base hit to score Crowley.

Crowley added a titanic 2-run homer to left center in the fifth, and Dan Rokitowski followed with a sky high solo shot to center later in the inning.

Barnes rapped out six hits in seven at bats and drove in four runs while scoring four as well. Crowley finished 4-4 with a double, a homer and six rbi. Dunn rapped three hits including a double. Westfield State freshman Dylan Salk came on late to record his first collegiate hit and drove in a run with a walk. Brett Dooley also recorded his first collegiate hit. The Owls' John Lippincott extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Westfield junior lefthander Ray Bell worked five innings, allowing three hits and one run while striking out four to pick up his second win of the season. Liam Neri, Eddie Hagelstein and Matt Hannoush all added scoreless innings in relief in their first varsity outings for the Owls. Junior Jeff Svendsen struck out the side in a scorelss ninth inning as Westfield pitchers limited the Elms to just six hits on the night.

Starter Cody Lemieux (1-2) took the loss as the first of five Elms hurlers. The Blazers (6-12) scored their lone run in the first on a double from Aedin Wadja and a rbi base hit from Stephen Harrison.

The game was played at historic MacKenzie Stadium in Holyoke, the Blazers' home field and the former home of the Holyoke Millers minor league team which played in the Double-A Eastern League in the 1980s. MacKenzie, a 1938 WPA project, is also home to the Valley Blue Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League.