QUINCY, Mass. – Freshman Zack Bernier (North Dartmouth, Mass.) spun a four-hit shutout in game one and junior Joe Hulme (Tewksbury, Mass.) drove in three runs in the nightcap as the Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team swept Eastern Nazarene, 2-0, and 10-5 in a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader played at Adams Field.
With the two wins the Leopards even their record at 11-11 overall and stand at 4-6 in CCC play while the Lions fall to 6-7 (0-4).
In the first game, the Leopards scored the only run they would need in the bottom of the first inning as senior Jon Spitz led off by reaching on an error and went to second when junior Anthony Matera (Trumbull, Conn.) walked. Both players moved up 90 feet when Hulme laid down a sacrifice bunt and Spitz came in to score on an RBI groundout by junior Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.).
Spitz tripled down the right field line with one out in the third inning and added an insurance run when Matera singled through the right side.
Bernier scattered four hits and struck out seven batter, while setting down nine of the final 10 batters he faced to improve to 2-3 on the year.
Eastern Nazarene's Anthony Berroa was tagged with his first loss of the season, falling to 2-1, as he allowed two runs on two hits, walked six, and struck out four.
Game two saw Wentworth score a run in the bottom of the first inning as Matera drew a one-out walk and go to second on a balk. A flyout by Mailman moved Matera to third and he would score after a failed pickoff attempt moved Hulme, who walked, to second.
The Leopards took advantage of four Lion errors in the third inning to score six runs. Hulme and sophomore Greg Confessore (West Hartford, Conn.) each had two-run singles. Hulme also scored after an errant throw on a stolen base attempt and Confessore scored when senior Paul Dassau (Franklin, Mass.) reached on an error.
Eastern Nazarene got on the board in the top of the fourth inning, thanks to a two-run single from junior Jake Koch (Dayton, Nev.) and made it a 7-5 game in the top of the fifth, scoring three times with the help of a pair of Leopard errors.
However, that would be as close as the Lions would come as Wentworth scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to double up the Lions. Hulme drove in a run with a fielder's choice and had a steal of home while Mailman delivered a sacrifice fly.
Freshman Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) earned his first collegiate win (1-0) in his first collegiate start, allowing five runs (one earned) on six hits and struck out five in 4.1 innings. Senior Ben Lewis (Middletown, R.I.) came in with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, and, after allowing an inherited runner to score on a fielder's choice, ended the inning with a flyout. Sophomore Johnny Ryan (Brandt Rock, Mass.) pitched a perfect seventh inning.
Hulme drove in three runs and stole three bases. Confessore drove in a pair of runs.
Frank Fusco took the loss (1-1) for the Lions as he allowed seven runs (six earned), walked four, and struck out four in three innings. Justin Wagner and Berroa had two hits apiece and Koch drove in two runs.
Wentworth is at Nichols on Saturday for a CCC twinbill against the Bison while Eastern Nazarene is at Gordon for a pair of games on Friday.
