NORTHBORO, Mass. – Sophomore Jimmy Temte (Northborough, Mass.) had three hits – including a two-run home run – in game one and provided the only run of game two with a solo home run in the sixth inning of game two as the Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team opened Commonwealth Coast Conference play with a sweep of Roger Williams at the New England Baseball Complex. The Leopards held on to defeat the Hawks, 7-5, in game one, and blanked Roger Williams, 1-0, in the nightcap.
Winners of four straight, the Leopards improve to 9-3 overall and open CCC play at 2-0. Roger Williams falls to 2-11 (0-2).
Temte gave Wentworth a 2-0 lead in the top of the second with his first home run of the day, which came after a junior Johnny Ryan (Brandt Rock, Mass.) double. Roger Williams would take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the inning and made it a 5-2 game in the bottom of the fourth.
Freshman Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.) hit an RBI double in the top of the fifth inning tied the game to make it 5-3 and the Black & Gold scored four times in the sixth on a two-run double from senior Joe Hulme (Tewksbury, Mass.) and a two-run single from sophomore Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.).
In the seventh inning Roger Williams had runners on first and second with one out. Sophomore starter Aaron Denis (Dover, N.H.) was pulled for senior Dakota Baird (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.). Baird got a double play off of a fly out to end the game.
Denis improved to 3-0 on the season as he pitched 6.1 innings, allowing five runs (two earned) on nine hits and striking out four. Baird earned his second save of the season by pitching two thirds of an inning. In addition to Temte's three hits, Burst had a pair of hits.
Game two saw freshman Robby Sheldon (Dover, N.H.) work out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first inning with no outs as he walked the first two batters he faced and hit the third. A lineout to Hulme, followed a by a popout to Hulme and a flyout to senior Anthony Matera (Trumbull, Conn.) ended the threat.
Wentworth had runners at second and third with zero outs in the second, however a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around a groundout ended any chances of the Leopards scoring. In the bottom of the third, the Hawks loaded the bases with one out, however Sheldon again got out of the jam.
In the fifth inning Matera singled and went to second on a sophomore Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) single. Both runners moved over on a sacrifice from Hulme and senior Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.) was intentionally walked to load the bases. Wentworth would leave the bases loaded after a strikeout and flyout ended the threat.
With two outs in the sixth, Temte launched his fourth home run of the season, which would provide the only run of the game. The Leopards left a pair on in the top of the seventh and sophomore Zack Bernier (North Dartmouth, Mass.) came in to pitch in the bottom of the seventh. Bernier allowed a one-out single, which was erased by a fielder's choice, and stranded the tying run at first with a flyout to end the game.
Sheldon improved to 3-0 with a 1.02 earned run average as he allowed four hits and struck out five in six innings. Bernier notched his first save of the season with the scoreless seventh. At the plate, Ferri and Matera had two hits each.
The Leopards will be back in action on Saturday at Eastern Nazarene.
