Strong Pitching, Timely Hitting Pace Wentworth in Sweep

WENHAM, Mass. – Sophomore Alex Wong (Lewiston, Maine) pitched a three-hit shutout to give Wentworth a 5-0 win over Gordon in the first game and junior Nick Colanto (Beverly, Mass.) struck out a career-high 11 batters in a complete-game win that saw the Leopards score nine times in the last of the sixth to complete the sweep with a 10-4 win.

Through the first four innings of the opener, Wong and Gordon junior Erik Wolak (Trumbull, Conn.) kept each other's' offense off the board, despite both teams having chances.  The Leopards would have runners on first and second in the opening inning, but Wolak got a double play to end the threat and in the fourth inning the Leopards left two runners on.  In both the third and fourth innings Gordon left a pair of runners on.

Wentworth got all the runs it needed in the home half of the fifth inning as junior Justin Bolla (Newburyport, Mass.) drew a leadoff walk but was forced out at second on a fielder's choice from freshman Jon Spitz (Hanover, Mass.).  After Spitz stole second, senior Matt Jordan (Concord, N.H.) and junior Conner Flisnik (Marcy, N.Y.) drew back-to-back walks to load the bases.  Senior Doug Papuga (Branford, Conn.) delivered a single to left that scored Spitz and Jordan and a batter later senior Ben Danker (Branford, Conn.) doubled in Flisnik.

The Leopards would get two more in the sixth, first on a solo home run from senior Mike Diodato (Asbury, N.J.), and then on an RBI single from Spitz, which scored Bolla who had singled and stole second.

Wong walked just three batters and struck out five to pick up his first win of the season (1-1), while at the plate seven different Leopards had hits, including Papuga who drove in two runs.

Wolak took the loss (0-2) for the Fighting Scots as he allowed three runs on four hits, while walking four and striking out four in five innings of work.  Junior Zack Bohling (Trumbull, Conn.) pitched the sixth, allowing two runs on three hits.  Senior Stephen Myhren (Vernon, N.J.) had two of Gordon's three hits in the loss.

Gordon sophomore John Kanas (East Moriches, N.Y.) was perfect through the first three innings and didn't allow a hit until a two-out infield hit to Danker in the fourth.  His teammates staked a 2-0 lead in the top of the third when Wolak hit a two-run double to left with the bases loaded, scoring Ben Davidson (Sterling, Mass.), who reached on an error, and sophomore junior Kris Camelio (Lexington, Mass.) who drew a one-out walk.  With runners at second and third and one out, Myhren was intentionally walked to load the bases and Colanto got out of the jam with a flyout and a strikeout.  An inning later the Fighting Scots tacked on another run on a solo home run from freshman Cole Pooler (Orange, Calif.).

The Leopards began their comeback in the fifth when senior Jake McManus (Concord, N.H.) led off with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout.  During an at bat by Bolla, McManus moved to third on a wild pitch and came home to score when sophomore Ryan Delgado (Wareham, Mass.) grounded into a fielder's choice.

Wentworth's bats came alive in the sixth inning as the Leopards scored nine runs on six hits and were aided by two Gordon errors.  Jordan led off with a double to center and went to third on a Flisnik single.  Papuga followed with a single through the left side, scoring Jordan and putting the tying run in scoring position.  Danker would lay down a sacrifice run, putting Flisnik at third and Papuga at second.  McManus reached on a fielder's choice when the throw home to get Flisnik was wild, tying the game at 3-all.  A walk by Diodato loaded the bases before Bolla gave Wentworth a 4-3 lead when he drew a bases-loaded walk.  Delgado had an RBi single, Diodato scored on a wild pitch, and junior Joe Meucci (West Hartford, Conn.) drove in Bolla with a single to make the score 7-3.

After Jordan reached on an error which scored Delgado, Danker delivered a two-out, two-run single to right center, plating Jordan and Meucci and Jordan and putting the Leopards ahead, 10-3.

Sophomore Brian Harrington (Shoreham, N.Y.) delivered a one-out double in the top of the seventh, which scored Camelio, who had hit a one-out single, and rounded out the scoring.

Colanto allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits, while walking three to go along with his 11 strikeouts.  He struck out at least one batter in each inning, including striking out the side in the second inning.  Offensively, Danker was 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Jordan and McManus scored two runs apiece and Delgado drove in two runs.

Sophomore Kanas took the loss (0-3), allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits, while walking three and striking out two in two-plus innings.  Myhren allowed five runs (three earned) on two hits and two walks in a third of an inning, while Davidson allowed an unearned run on one hit and one walk in two-thirds of an inning.  Harrington was a perfect 4-for-4 in the game, while Camelio was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Wolak drove in two runs.

Winners of five straight Wentworth improves to 12-6 overall and 5-1 in The Commonwealth Coast Conference play.  The Leopards host Roger Williams on Saturday in a conference doubleheader.  Gordon falls to 3-16 (1-9) and hosts Emerson tomorrow.