Wentworth, Colby-Sawyer Split TCCC Doubleheader

EAST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Freshman Jon Wylie (Middleboro, Mass.) went 3-for-3 with a home run to pace four players with multiple hits while classmate Kevin Keith (Quincy, Mass.) earned the complete-game win to help Colby-Sawyer salvage a split with Wentworth with a 10-2 win in the second game of a The Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader.  The Leopards had claimed game one by a 5-3 score in the conference opener for both squads.

In the opener, the hosts jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first senior Ben Danker (Branford, Conn.) and classmate Mike Diodato (Asbury, N.J.) each had RBI singles and senior Jake McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) came home after a successful stolen base attempt by Diodato.

The Chargers cut the lead to 3-1 in the second on an RBI groundout from freshman Jake Szulak (Middleboro, Mass.) which scored senior Brandon McFadden (Dummerston, Vt.).  Colby-Sawyer used single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game at 3-all as sophomore Cameron Knight (Cambridge, Mass.) led off the fourth with a home run to left center and senior Evan Leary (Concord, N.H.) scored on a groundout by junior Greg Mehuron (Waitsfield, Vt.).

A one-out walk in the bottom of the sixth by Danker and a single through the left side by McManus placed runners at first and second.  Freshman Jon Spitz (Hanover, Mass.) was inserted to pinch run for Danker and scored the go-ahead run on a two-out single from junior Justin Bolla (Groveland, Mass.).  McManus would provide an insurance run when he scored later in the inning as a result of an error.

Senior Doug Papuga (Branford, Conn.) picked up the win (2-0), allowing three runs on five hits and striking out five in the complete-game win.  Diodato had a pair of hits, while McManus scored two runs.

Senior Mike Bertuccio (Millstone Township, N.J.) took the loss (2-1), allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits while striking out a pair.  Five different players recorded hits for Colby-Sawyer.

The Chargers scored in each of the first five innings of the nightcap, beginning with an RBI groundout from Mehuron in the first that scored freshman Andy Lapple (Newtown, Conn.), who had delivered a triple with one out in the first.  Colby-Sawyer added two runs in the second, highlighted by a Wylie home run and an RBI single from Szulak, before adding a single run in the third inning when sophomore Sean Gavin, who led off with a single, scored on an error later in the inning.

Leading 4-0 after three innings, the Chargers tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning on a two-run home run from Lapple.  Wentworth broke the ice in the home half of the inning when McManus grounded out, which scored junior Conner Flisnik (Marcy, N.Y.) who had led off with a single.

Colby-Sawyer broke the game open in the fourth inning, scoring four times to up the lead to 10-1.  Leary had a two-run single, Lapple delivered a sacrifice fly, and Mehuron drove in a run with a single.  The Leopards closed out the scoring with a single run in the last of the sixth when Diodato, who earlier in the inning collected his 100^th career hit, scored as a result of an error.

Keith scattered nine hits and allowed just one earned run, while striking out five batters to improve to 1-1.  Lapple drove in three runs to go along with his two hits.  Mehuron and Leary each drove in a pair of runs.

Sophomore Alex Wong (Lewiston, Maine) took the loss (0-1) for the Leopards, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits and striking out three.  Sophomore Ryan Conrad (East Bridgewater, Mass.) did not allow a run in 2.2 innings of relief work, while Danker paced the offense with two hits.

Wentworth stands at 7-6 overall and 1-1 in TCCC play, while Colby-Sawyer is 6-4 (1-1).  Both teams step out of conference on Wednesday as the Leopards are at Brandeis and the Chargers are at Daniel Webster.