Offense Heats up in Baseball's Northern Opener

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. – Eight different players recorded multiple-hit games, including sophomore Aidan French (Chicago, Ill.) and freshman Nolan McManus (Milton, Mass.) who each had three hits, as the Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team opened its northern schedule with an 18-2 victory over Mass. Maritime in non-conference action Thursday afternoon.

With the win the Leopards improve to 3-8 on the season while the Buccaneers fall to 1-6. The 18 runs for the Black & Gold are the most since scoring 21 in a 21-1 win over Anna Maria on March 9, 2016.

Senior Andrew Elliott (Rockland, Mass.) got Wentworth on the board in the top of the first inning when he singled home junior Owen Swanson (New Milford, Conn.). Swanson had led off the game with a single, went to second on a passed ball, and moved to third on a French single. French, who went to third on Elliott's hit, scored when junior Devin Haberstumpf (Forest Hills, N.Y.) drove him in with a sacrifice fly. The bottom of the inning saw Mass. Maritime score when senior Paul Sances (Middleboro, Mass.) scored on a double from junior Jackson Simone (Seattle, Wash.) Sances had led off the inning with a double.

The Leopards scored 13 runs over the next four innings, beginning with five in the second frame. French had an RBI double which plated freshman Matt Masciadrelli (Westfield, Mass.). Elliott drove in Swanson with a sacrifice fly, Haberstumpf singled in French, and senior Ross Golebiewski (Lyme, Conn.) had a two-run single which scored senior Jake Smith (Orange, Conn.) and Haberstumpf. An inning later, Smith scored Swanson and Masciadrelli with his two-run single that made it 9-1. The bottom of the inning saw Mass. Maritime score when junior Matt Langan (North Easton, Mass.) plated senior Marley Dembitzki (North Dartmouth, Mass.) with a sacrifice fly.

Wentworth increased its lead to 13-2 in the fourth inning, thanks in part to a pair of Buccaneer miscues. Freshman Nolan Freeman (Braintree, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice to drive in sophomore Kyle Litwin, while McManus came around to score on an error. Freeman scored on an RBI single by Elliott before Haberstumpf drove in French when he reached on an error. An inning later, Masciadrelli drew a bases-loaded walk to score Golebiewski while Litwin scored on a French groundout.

A three-run eighth inning completed the Leopards' offensive explosion as freshman Nate Ladeira (Fall River, Mass.) scored on a throwing error after Smith had reached on a fielder's choice while McManus drove in Litwin and sophomore Craig Rich (Billerica, Mass.) with a two-run single.

French went 3-for-7 with three runs scored and two RBI while McManus was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Swanson, Elliott, Smith, Golebiewski, Litwin, and Masciadrelli each had two hits. Elliott and Haberstumpf drove in three runs apiece while Swanson and Litwin each scored three runs.

Junior Ryan Obin (Plymouth, Mass.) picked up his first win of the season (1-2) as he scattered seven hits and allowed two runs while striking out seven in five innings of work. Senior Ben Rexford (Lancaster, N.H.) pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out four while junior Ryan Joyce (Avon, Mass.) pitched a scoreless ninth, yielding one hit.

Sances, junior Nick Haley (Hanson, Mass.), and Simone each had two hits for Mass. Maritime. Freshman Brady Parks (Seaford, Del.) took the loss (0-1) as he allowed seven runs on eight hits in two innings.

Wentworth will play Brandeis in a doubleheader on Sunday at the New England Baseball Complex in Northboro, Mass.

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