HOLYOKE, Mass. ---- The Massasoit baseball team caged the Holyoke Cougars on Saturday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader by the scores of 7-3 and 16-2.
Massasoit improved to 11-10 with the two victories and sit at 7-2 in the league.
Game 1: Massasoit 7, Holyoke 3
The Warriors did all their damage in the first four innings. Luke Lewando (Brockton) was the spark at the top of the Massasoit lineup, going 3-for-4, scoring twice and knocking in a pair. The second leadoff man, 9-hole hitter Jack DeCoste (East Sandwich) also was heavily involved at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI.
Massasoit appeared to have the game in complete control, leading 7-0 after three-and-a-half innings, until the Cougars started a rally in the last of the fourth. After cruising through the first three frames, Jake Morris (Bourne) struggled a bit in the fourth, but escaped allowing just two runs in the inning. The righty struck out six and did not allow a hit in the first four innings on the hill.
After pushing across a run in the top of the sixth, HCC loaded the bases with two outs. With the tying run at the plate, the Warriors called on reliever Tim DeCouto (Whitman) to induce an inning-ending ground out to Nick Andrews (Raynham) at third to keep the lead intact.
Andrews also added two hits in the win.
Game 2: Massasoit 16, Holyoke 2 (6 Innings)
Kasey Kirby (Dedham) was dominant over five innings and the Massasoit lineup provided more than enough offense to earn the doubleheader sweep.
Kirby went the first five innings, and after a rocky first frame in which he allowed two unearned runs to score, the freshman shut down the Cougar offense. The righty yielded only two hits, both coming in the first inning, fanned five and walked two, improving to 2-1 on the season.
Falling behind 2-0 after the first, Massasoit scored twice in the second and three more times in the third.
The Warriors were retired in order in the fourth, before breaking the game open over the next two frames. Massasoit batted around in back-to-back innings, highlighted by a homer from Ricky Sherlock (Whitman), his third of the season, and a two-run double by Pat Harkins (Norwood).
Lewando went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBI, Luis Ramirez (Dedham) added two hits and three RBI and Bryan Dwyer (Abington) scored twice and knocked in two in the win.
