QUINCY, Mass. – Sophomore Alex Wong (Lewiston, Maine) pitched his second shutout in as many starts, allowing just two hits and facing one batter over the minimum while freshman Jon Spitz (Hanover, Mass.) went a combined 5-for-6 as the Wentworth baseball team swept Eastern Nazarene, 1-0, and 12-5.
Wong allowed a leadoff hit to senior David Rivera (Bronx, N.Y.), but on the next batter Rivera was thrown out trying to steal second. From there Wong set down 12 straight batters before giving up a single in the fifth inning.
The Leopards got the lone run of the game in the sixth inning when senior Ben Danker (Branford, Conn.) was hit by a pitch, stole second, and went to third on a throwing error on the steal attempt. Senior Jake McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) hit an infield single that ricocheted off the mound to drive in Danker. Wong would set the side down in order in the sixth and seventh, with four of the six outs coming by way of a strikeout to end the game.
Wong improved to 2-1 on the year as he struck out seven and didn't allow a walk. Offensively Spitz had a pair of hits while Danker, McManus, and sophomore Ryan Delgado (Wareham, Mass.) each recorded a single.
Senior Justin Denbow (Readfield, Maine) took the loss (1-4) for the Lions.
After two scoreless innings to open the nightcap, the visitors scored three runs in the third – all with two outs. Spitz hit a double and was driven in by a senior Matt Jordan (Concord, N.H.) triple. Junior Conner Flisnik (Marcy, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch and stole second. Junior Justin Bolla (Groveland, Mass.) would reach on an error that scored Jordan and an RBI single by Danker scored Flisnik. Wentworth added two more in the fourth when sophomore Tom Moules (Peabody, Mass.) delivered a triple and scored on a Delgado double. Delgado came around to score on an RBI single from Spitz.
The fifth inning saw the Leopards plate five runs, with the big blast coming on a bases-clearing double from Moules, which scored senior Mike Diodato, McManus, and Danker. Moules came in to score on an RBI single from Jordan and Flisnik drove in Spitz to round out the scoring.
Eastern Nazarene ended the shutout streak at 11 innings when junior Danny Rodriguez (Bronx, N.Y.) led off the fifth with a home run. After Wentworth scored in the top of the sixth on an RBI single from Delgado, the Lions scored twice in the home half of the inning on a two-run home run from senior Luke Matthews (Boise, Idaho).
Junior Joe Meucci (West Hartford, Conn.) drove in freshman Paul Dassau (Franklin, Mass.) on a fielder's choice in the top of the seventh to make it a 12-3 game, before the Lions added two in the bottom of the inning.
Junior Nick Colanto (Beverly, Mass.) improved to 3-0 as he allowed five runs on six hits, walked three and struck out seven. Spitz was 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Jordan, Flisnik, Moules, and Delgado each had two hits. Moules finished with three RBI, with Jordan and Delgado driving in two apiece.
Junior Jared Daniels (Smithburg, Md.) fell to 0-6 with the loss, as he allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits and struck out three in four innings of work. Classmate George Williams (Thornwood, N.Y.) had a pair of hits for Eastern Nazarene.
With the two wins Wentworth improves to 17-7 overall and 10-2 in The Commonwealth Coast Conference play. Eastern Nazarene falls to 7-20 (4-12). Both teams step out of conference on Thursday as Wentworth is at Mass. Maritime and Eastern Nazarene is at UMass Boston.
