SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Western New England baseball team fended off a pair of late comebacks by Wentworth Institute of Technology as the Golden Bears swept a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader from the Leopards, winning 4-3 and 6-4.
Winners of three in a row Western New England improves to 14-14 overall and 11-5 in CCC play while the Leopards fall to 13-12 (5-7).
The two teams traded runs in the first inning as the visitors got a two-out double from senior Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.) and an RBI single from sophomore Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.). In the bottom of the inning, junior Doug Milne (Nesconset, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch with two outs and came around to score on a senior Steve Buckley (Monroe, Conn.) double.
Western New England took a 3-1 lead in the third inning when Buckley singled in senior Matt Anziano (Belchertown, Mass.) who had drawn a one-out walk and Milne, who had a one-out single, would score on a junior Eduardo Colmenares (Caracas, Venezuela) single.
A pair of runs in the top of the sixth by the Leopards would tie the game at 3-all. Mailman belted a one-out triple to right center and came into score on a Burst double. Burst came home with the tying run one a two-out double off the bat of senior Scott Ouellette (Lewiston, Maine).
The Golden Bears edged ahead, 4-3, in the bottom of the inning as Colmenares hit a one out triple to right field and scored on a single from junior T.J. Wyrebek (Bristol, Conn.).
Down to its final at bat Wentworth got a one-out single form freshman Bram Grooten (Eindhoven, Netherlands) and sophomore Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) reached on an error. However, both runners would be stranded when junior Matt Fedor (Monroe, Conn.) got back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
Fedor picked up the win in relief (1-2) as he pitched 1.1 innings, allowed two hits, and struck out three. Senior Trevor Breton (Enfield, Conn.) allowed three runs on six hits and struck out four in 5.2 innings. Buckley and Colmenares had two hits each with Buckley driving in two runs.
Freshman Robby Sheldon (Dover, N.H.) fell to 3-3 on the year as he allowed four runs on six hits and struck out three. Mailman, Burst, and Grooten had two hits each with Burst driving in a pair of runs.
The Golden Bears took a 3-0 lead after three innings of play in the nightcap. In the second inning sophomore Daniel Morin (Salem, N.H.) was hit by a pitch and went to second on a Colmenares single. Both players moved up when junior Matt Calzone (Middlebury, Conn.) dropped down a sacrifice which was thrown away. Junior Scott Hubener (Mendon, Mass.) fit into a fielder's choice, which scored Morin. An inning later the hosts tacked on a pair of runs when Buckley had a sacrifice fly and Morin and an RBI single.
Western New England upped its lead to 5-0 in the fifth when Milne singled and would eventually score on a passed ball. The Golden Bears' second run came on a Colmenares sacrifice fly which scored Buckley.
The Leopards got on the board in the top of the sixth when freshman Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.) led off with a single and advanced to third on a single from Ouellette. After a fly out, sophomore Jimmy Temte (Northborough, Mass.) hit an RBI double, which scored Weninger and moved Ouellette to third. However, sophomore Jacques Boilard (Brimfield, Mass.) was summoned from the bullpen and got a strikeout and a popup to end the inning.
Western New England increased its lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double from Milne. In the top of the seventh, the Leopards scored three times to make it 6-4. Mailman singled to left and went to second on an infield hit from Burst. Weninger drew a walk to load the bases. Fedor came in to relieve senior Jason Haddy (Oakland, N.J.) and gave up a single to Ouellette, which scored Mailman, and a two-run single from junior Sam McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.). With runners on first and second and one out, Fedor induced a game-ending double play.
Sophomore Andrew Mulvey (Bristol, R.I.) picked up the win (2-1), allowing one run on eight hits and striking out two in 5 and a third innings. Fedor, the Golden Bears' fourth pitcher of the day, picked up his second save of the season as he allowed three inherited runners to score on two hits. Anziano and Milne had two hits each for the Golden Bears.
Weninger was tagged with the loss (1-1) as he allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits and struck out four in five innings. Senior Dakota Baird (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.) pitched the sixth, allowing one run on one hit and striking out one. McManus was 2-for-3 with two RBI while Mailman, Weninger, Ouellette, and Temte had tow hits apiece.
The Leopards are at Rivier on Wednesday night.
