Baseball Loses Two to End Southern Trip

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The WPI baseball team ran its win streak to four games as the Engineers swept a non-conference doubleheader from Wentworth Institute of Technology at Polk State College. WPI took the first game 17-1 and held on for a 4-2 win the nightcap.

GAME ONE:  WPI 17, Wentworth 1
The game remained scoreless until the top of the third inning when WPI (6-4) scored three times with two coming on a senior John Mulready (Rockland, Mass.) single. The Engineers received a leadoff single from senior John Caliri (Hanson, Mass.) who stole second and went to third when classmate Vinny D'Ambrosio (Mahopac, N.Y.) reached on an error. Junior Nick Comei (Haverhill, Mass.) drove an RBI single to left to plate Caliri before Mulready's single to left made it 3-0.

WPI added a pair in the fifth D'Ambrosio doubled in sophomore Evan Lacroix (Methuen, Mass.) who had led off the inning with a single and Mulready would hit into a fielder's choice which plated D'Ambrosio. In the bottom of the inning the Leopards got their lone run as freshman Matt Smith (Horseheads, N.Y.) and junior Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) had back-to-back singles to open the frame and each moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. Sophomore Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.) plated Matt Smith with a sacrifice fly.

The Engineers broke the game open in the sixth inning, scoring eight times as half of those runs came on a senior Alex Venditti (Newton, Mass.) grand slam. Lacroix, freshman Steven Gallagher (Coventry, R.I.), and Caliri each had RBI singles and another run came on a wild pitch. In the top of the seventh WPI scored four times – with three coming on a freshman Ryan Tropeano (Pembroke, Mass.) home run and another on a freshman Domenic Fusco (North Haven, Conn.) RBI single.

Sophomore Stephen D'Agostino (Shrewsbury, Mass.) improved to 2-0 as he allowed one run on five hits and struck out seven in six innings of work. D'Ambrosio, Mulready, Caliri, and Lacroix each had two hits for the Engineers.

Senior Zack Bernier (North Dartmouth, Mass.) took the loos (0-1), allowing nine runs (six earned) on seven hits, and striking out five in five-plus innings of work. Ferri had a pair of hits for the Black & Gold.

GAME TWO:  WPI 4, Wentworth 2
Wentworth led off the game taking a 1-0 lead as sophomore Tim Elrick (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) hit a one-out single through the left side and came around to score a batter later on a Weninger triple. In the home half of the inning the Engineers evened the score as D'Ambrosio led off with a bunt single, went to second on a wild pitch, and moved to third on a Comei single. He came into score on a Venditti RBI single.

The Engineers took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third when Comei hit a two-out single which was followed by a home run from Venditti.

A pair of Wentworth miscues in the bottom of the sixth helped WPI make it a 4-1 game as Fusco scored on a sacrifice fly from Gallagher.

Down to its last at bat the Leopards cut the deficit to 4-2 when senior Johnny Ryan (Brandt Rock, Mass.) led off with a double and went to third when junior Jimmy Temte (Northborough, Mass.) reached on a dropped fly ball. Senior pinch hitter Sam MvManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) grounded out to plate Ryan and with the tying run at the plate, a strikeout ended the game.

Junior Aidan Freeburg (Billerica, Mass.) upped his record to 2-0 as he allowed a pair of runs (one earned) on six hits and struck out seven in a complete-game effort. Venditti had two hits and three RBI while D'Ambrosio and Comei also had two hits each.

Freshman Mike Callagee (Emerson, N.J.) saw his record even at 1-1 as he allowed four runs on 10 hits. Five different players tallied hits for Wentworth.

The Leopards return to the diamond on Thursday at Mass. Maritime.