Fitzpatrick Fires Three-Hit Shutout as Baseball Knocks Off Gordon 5-0 to Advance in CCC Tournament

Fitzpatrick Fires Three-Hit Shutout as Baseball Knocks Off Gordon 5-0 to Advance in CCC Tournament
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Rookie Thomas Fitzpatrick fired a complete-game, three-hit shutout, as third-seeded Curry College defeated fifth-seeded Gordon College, 5-0, on Day 3 of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Baseball Tournament. The Colonels improve to 18-23 and advance to the final day of the conference tournament on Monday. The Fighting Scots were eliminated, ending their season at 15-26.

Curry will play #4 Roger Williams on Monday at 12:00 p.m. on the campus of Western New England University (WNEU) in Springfield. The loser of that game will be eliminated. The winner will advance to the CCC Championship Game against the defending champion and top-seeded Golden Bears. Monday's second game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at WNEU.

In its victory over Gordon, Curry got all of the runs it would need in the first two innings. In the bottom of the first frame, junior Shayne McDonald reached on an error and later came around to score on an RBI single by classmate Matt Rodriguez.

The Colonels tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 4-0 lead. A bunt single by sophomore Kyle Connors brought home senior David Stevens, who led off the inning with a base hit up the middle. Sophomore Matt O’Neill later crossed the plate on a throwing error then Connors scored when senior Carlos Cornejo reached on another error. Curry added a single run in the bottom of the fourth to account for the 5-0 final.

Fitzpatrick (4-2) went all nine innings, giving up three hits and five walks while striking out seven. Connors went 2-for-2 at the plate with an RBI. Starter Eric Wolak (0-4) took the loss for Gordon, hurling 3 1/3 innings, allowing five hits, five runs (two earned) and a walk while fanning one.