Strong Pitching Carries Baseball Team to Sweep

BEVERLY, Mass. – Sophomore Alex Wong (Lewiston, Maine) and junior Nick Colanto (Beverly, Mass.) each posted their third straight complete-game victory, while junior Justin Bolla (Groveland, Mass.) and senior Jake McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) paced the offense with three hits apiece as the Wentworth baseball team swept Nichols, 4-1 and 3-1, in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader at Endicott College's North Field.

In addition to Bolla and McManus, sophomore Ryan Delgado (Wareham, Mass.) and junior Conner Flisnik (Marcy, N.Y.) had two hits and two RBI, while senior Ben Danker (Branford, Conn.) had a pair of doubles.

The visiting Bison threatened in the first inning when junior Jared Stuczynski (Whitinsville, Mass.) delievered a one-out single and went to third on a two-out single off the bat off senior Christopher Nemeskal (Swampscott, Mass.), who took second on the cutoff throw.  However, Wong ended the threat with a strikeout.

Wentworth plated a run in the home half of the first inning when senior Matt Jordan (Concord, N.H.) led off with a single through the right side and moved into scoring position by stealing second.  Flisnik delivered a single to left center to drive in Jordan and would take second on the throw,  Danker drew a one-out walk and senior Mike Diodato (Asbury, N.J.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases but Nichols senior Mat Whitman (North Plainfield, N.J.) got a strikeout to end the inning.

Nichols tied the game in the second when sophomore John Micciche (Holbrook, Mass.) led off with a double to left center and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Kyle Russell (West Yarmouth, Mass.).  A senior Zac Johnson (Wakefield, R.I.) single to right scored Micciche.

The Leopards took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning as Delgado led off the inning being hit by a pitch and went to second when Jordan grounded out with one out.  Freshman Jon Spitz (Hanover, Mass.) singled to center to drive in Delgado and got himself in scoring position by stealing second.  Flisnik delivered his second RBI in as many at bats with a single to left to give the hosts a 3-1 lead.

Nichols threatened in the third by loading the bases with one out.  However, Wong induced a groundout to get the force at the plate and got an inning-ending groundout to first.

Wentworth added a single run in the sixth when Diodato doubled to left and went to third on a Bolla single.  Diodato came home on a Delgado sacrifice fly.

Wong (3-1) scattered seven hits, while walking one and matching a career-high with seven strikeouts.  He set down the final 11 batters he faced.  Offensively Flisnik was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI while Bolla was 2-for-3.

Whitman (1-2) took the loss for the Bison , allowing four runs on eight hits, while walking one and striking out two in 5.1 innings of work.  Senior Scott Leecock (Palmer, Mass.) pitched the final two-thirds of an inning, recording one strikeout.  Nemeskal paced the offense with two hits.

The Leopards did all of their scoring in the second inning of the nightcap as Danker snuck a double just inside the right field line and came around to score on a McManus single.  Diodato walked and both moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Bolla.  A Delgado single through the left side scored both runners and gave Wentworth a 3-0 lead.

In the sixth inning the Leopards threatened to score, loading the bases with one out.  However, Nichols junior Nicholas Fowler (Salem, Mass.) got back-t0-back strikeouts to end the threat.  The Bison scored their only run of the game in the top of the seventh when senior Austin Martin (Wakefield, R.I.) led off with a single through the right side.  Junior Richie Burke (Newburyport, Mass.) came on to pinch run for Martin and took second on a wild pitch.  A groundout by Nemeskal moved Burke to third before senior Josh Clark (Brunswick, Maine) grounded out, which scored Burke.

Colanto remained unbeaten on the season, improving to 4-0.  He allowed one run on three hits, while walking two and striking out two.  Danker, Delgado, and McManus each had two hits, with Danker recording a pair of doubles, sophomore Tom Moules (Peabody, Mass.) recording two hits, and Delgado and McManus combining to drive in all three runs.

Fowler dropped to 0-2 on the season, allowing three runs on nine hits, while walking two and striking out four.  Stuczynski, Martin, and Clark each had hits for the Bison.

Wentworth improves to 19-9 overall and 12-4 in TCCC play.  The Leopards are at Mass. Maritime on Thursday.  Nichols falls to 7-17 (2-10) and hosts New England College tomorrow.