Baseball Drops Pair To Marian College At RussMatt Invitational Opener

Abt drives in four for Green and Gold

Auburndale, FL – The Fitchburg State University Baseball team dropped a pair of non-conference contest to the Sabres of Marian University today at the 2026 RussMatt Baseball Invitational from the Lake Myrtle Field 7.

The Basics

Score: Fitchburg State 2, Marian 15 (GM1)

Records: Fitchburg State (0-2, 0-0 MASCAC) I Marian (1-0)

Score: Fitchburg State 5, Marian 9 (GM2)

Records: Fitchburg State (0-3, 0-0 MASCAC) I Marian (2-0)

How It Happened

Game One

Marian opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning a Danny Santiago reached on a bases load catchers' interference before Ryan O'Toole drew a bases loaded walk and Ayden Kanaman  singled through the right side for the 3-0 advantage.

Fitchburg State answered back in the top of the third frame as junior Jason Kelly (East Bridgewater, MA) singled and crossed the plate when senior Joseph Abt (Newbury, MA) blasted a two-run home run to right center for his first home run of the season to make the score 4-2.

The Panthers secured the victory however as Arjay Valdez, Marc Jones, Jason Sims, Ryan O'Toole and Kanaman drove in runs for Marian in the bottom of the third, resulting in the 15-2, game one final

Game Two

Fitchburg State grabbed a 1-0 edge in the bottom of the first when Abt doubled to left center, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a failed pick off attempt for the 1-0 edge. Marian responded with two runs in top of second as Santiago and Kanaman crossed the plate of the 2-1 advantage.

Trailing 7-2 in the bottom of the fourth, the Green and Gold cut the deficit to 7-5 with Abt lacing a two-run single right center that brought in senior Casey Bellew (Beverly, MA) and graduate student Michael Cooper (Fitchburg, MA) before Kelly scored on a wild pitch.

The Sabres secured the victory however in the top of the fifth with George Hoss Jr bringing in O'Toole, while Kanaman crossed the plate on a bases loaded balk, resulting in the 11-5, game two final.

By The Numbers

• Abt paced the Falcons, going 2-for-3 with a home run, one run scored and two RBI in Game One
• Abt hit 2-for-4 with a double, one run scored and two RBI in game two
• In game one, freshman Luke Charron (Millbury, MA) yielded no runs on four hits with one strikeout over 2.1 innings of work in a no decision, while making his collegiate debut
• Junior Jack Castrichini (Peabody, MA) allowed two runs on two hits with three K's over two innings of relief in a non-decision for the Green and Gold in game two.

Up Next

Falcons return to action tomorrow as they take on the Bearcats of Saint Vincent College on day two of the 2026 RussMatt Baseball Invitational, starting at 9:45AM.

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