HOLYOKE, Mass. ---- Lefty David Tarr (Easton) twirled a complete game, six-hitter as the Massasoit Community College baseball team defeated Holyoke Community College, 5-2, on Thursday afternoon.
Massasoit improves to 12-8 on the season and winners of seven of its last eight contests. The Warriors host Quinsigamond on Saturday for a doubleheader starting at Noon.
Tarr was lights out in his nine-inning compete game effort, allowing only two runs (one earned) off six hits with six strikeouts and two walks. The win evens his record to 2-2 on the season.
"That was the most dominant performance I've seen Tarr pitch in the two years he's been here," head coach Tom Frizzell said. "He was dominant, absolutely dominant on the mound for us today. The key was he only had two walks. When he doesn't walk guys, he wins."
Over his last three outings, Tarr has pitched 21 innings, giving up only two earned runs with 26 strikeouts and only five walks.
The Warriors jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second by use of some two-out lightning. Scott O'Brien (East Bridgewater) walked with two down, followed by a single from Chris Roumbakis (Taunton). That set the stage for catcher Trevor Packard (Brockton) who plated both runners with a single to give Massasoit the early lead.
In the top of the fourth, the Warriors doubled up its lead to 4-0. Luke Nagle (Pembroke), Matt Levasseur (Milton) and Joe Walsh (Taunton) hit consecutive singles to plate the first run of the frame. Roumbakis knocked in the fourth run of the day on fielder's choice.
HCC broke through against Tarr in the last of the fourth, scoring an unearned run, before Massasoit would respond right back in the top of the fifth. David Murphy (Plymouth) came home to score on a RBI single from Levasseur.
The five runs were all Tarr would need, as he was in cruise control the rest of the way. The lefty was extremely economical, sending down the Cougars in order in the fifth through eight innings.
Travis Ritchie (Tauton) and Levasseur each finished with two hits for the Warriors.
