Baseball Drops Pair to Open Florida Trip

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team opened the southern portion of its schedule with a pair of losses to Ursinus. The Leopards were edged in the opener, 6-5, and dropped the nightcap 6-4.

GAME ONE:  Ursinus 6, Wentworth 5
Wentworth plated scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning, thanks to four straight singles to open the frame. Junior Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.) led off and would go to third on a senior Sam McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) single through the right side. Burst came around to score on a junior Jimmy Temte (Northborough, Mass.) single and senior Johnny Ryan (Brandt Rock, Mass.) drove in Temte.

Ursinus got one back in the top of the third as junior Kieran Geyer (Redding, Conn.) led off with a triple and scored on a junior CJ Diana (Chester, N.J.) double.

The game remained 2-1 in favor of the Leopards until the top of the sixth when the Bears scored three times. Junior Jose Colon (Bay Shore, N.Y.) drove in senior Christ Jablonski (Galloway, N.J.) with a sacrifice fly. Freshman Carter Usowski (Buckingham, Pa.) singled in sophomore Travis Kozak (Farmington, Conn.) and would come in to score on a Geyer single.

In the top of the seventh junior Jake Banks (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored after he stole third and scored on a error. A wild pitch would bring Jablonski in to make it 6-2.

Down to its last at bat Wentworth staged a rally, scoring three times to pull within a run with two outs. Senior pinch hitter Zack Bernier (North Dartmouth, Mass.) reached on an error and freshman pinch runner Anthony Delacruz (Lynn, Mass.) would replace Bernier and got o second on a freshman Matt Smith (Horseheads, N.Y.) single. Junior Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases and sophomore Tim Elrick (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) cleared the bases with a double. However, the Leopards were unable to get the tying run across as a strikeout ended the game.

Geyer and Diana had two hits apiece for Ursinus. Senior Sean Pisik (Syracuse, N.Y.) picked up the win (1-0) as he scattered 12 hits and allowed five runs (two earned) while striking out seven in 6.2 innings. Junior Connor Moriarty (Mahwah, N.J.) came into get the save, striking out the only batter he faced.

In addition to driving in three runs, Elrick had three hits as did Burst, Smith, and Temte. Junior Aaron Denis (Dover, N.H.) took the loss (0-1), allowing four runs on six hits and striking out six in six innings of work.

GAME TWO:  Ursinus 6, Wentworth 4
Game two saw Ursinus score twice in the opening frame as sophomore Kozak led off with a walk and came into score on a double from junior Vincent Terry (Beesley's Point, N.J.). After a groundout by Jablonski moved Terry to third, he scored on a junior Jay Farrell (Newtown Square, Pa.) double.

Ursinus plated in a single run in the second on a junior Avery Perez (Long Island City, N.Y.) home run and increased its lead to 4-0 in the third when Farrell singled in Jablonski. Two innings later the Bears pushed their lead to 6-0 when Terry led off with a double and came in to score when Jablonski singled and wound up on second after a fielding error. Jablonski scored on an infield single from junior Austin Kurey (East Windsor, N.J.).

Wentworth found itself down to its final at bat and would stage a rally by scoring four runs. Freshman Jake Smith (Orange, Conn.) had a one-out single and went to second on a classmate Dan Howard (Westwood, Mass.) single. After a strikeout, freshman Steve Hall (Derry, N.H.) walked to load the bases and Delacruz kept the game alive when he reached on an error which scored Jake Smith. Sophomore Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.) delivered a two-run single to right to plate Howard and Hall. Burst laced a single up the middle to score Delacruz, however a fielder's choice ended the comeback bid.

Terry, Jablonski, and Farrell each had two hits for Ursinus with Farrell driving in a pair. Junior Seth Regensburg (Pottstown, Pa.) pitched six shutout innings to pick up the win (1-1), yielding just three hits and striking out 10. Freshman Mark LeDuc (Fairfax, Va.) picked up the save, allowing one hit in one third of an inning.

Burst and Jake Smith had a pair of hits each while Weninger took the loss (0-2) as he allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits and struck out five. Senior Ryan Daniels (Bristol, R.I.) pitched a scoreless seventh.

Wentworth, which has lost by a combined four runs in its first three contests, plays King's (Pa.) on Monday morning in a doubleheader beginning at 9:15 a.m.