Baseball Falls to WPI 12-5
Worcester, Mass. - On an unseasonably cold and rainy afternoon, WPI batted around in the eighth inning to break open a one-run game, powering the Engineers to a 12-5 triumph over visiting Framingham State in non-conference baseball action on Friday afternoon. WPI improved to 19-5 with the victory, while Framingham State fell to 12-12 with the loss.
The first five batters reached for WPI in the key eighth inning, and five straight hitters would drive in a run in the seven-run frame that blew open a 5-4 game that was tight throughout. Mark Dignum (Albany, NY) lined an RBI double and Cody McGregor (Westfield, MA) a two-RBI triple for the key hits for WPI in the inning.
The teams battled back and forth for much of the game before the big inning. The Rams dented the scoreboard first with two in the second. Steven Tramontozzi (Watertown, MA) reached on an infield hit, scoring after a throwing error following a Sean Callahan (Watertown, MA) single to center. Callahan advanced to third on the error and scored on a wild pitch, giving Framingham State an early 2-0 lead.
WPI got a run back in the second on a Dignum sacrifice fly to pull the Crimson and Gray to within a run. The Rams regained a two-run edge with a run in the fourth, as Danny Chiasson (Watertown, MA) walked and came around to score following three wild pitches in the inning. The Engineers cut the deficit back to one in the bottom half of the fourth when Paul Galligan (Weymouth, MA) worked a one-out walk and scored on a Mitch McClune (Pembroke, MA) RBI double.
The Crimson and Gray would grab hold of the lead in their next at-bat. WPI catcher Joe Walsh(Weymouth, MA) and Bryan Watkins (Belmont, MA) led off the frame with back-to-back singles, setting the table for the meat of the WPI order. Later with two out in the inning, Jameson Kokolis (Manchester, NH) walked to load the bases, then a Galligan infield hit tied the game at 3-3. McClune was then hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run, and Dignum reached on an error scoring Kokolis for a 5-3 WPI advantage.
The Rams responded by tallying a run in the sixth, using a Callahan leadoff double and a Justin Wojcik (Dracut, MA) RBI single to pull back to within 5-4. Framingham State pieced together a rally in the eighth but ran themselves out of the inning, as Walsh picked off runners at first and second in the frame. The Engineers' tight defense paid off when they exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the eighth to pull away.
WPI starter Sean Minor (Los Angeles, CA) and Rams
starter Trevor Behrendt (Haverhill, MA) each went the
first four innings and allowed three runs but didn't factor into
the decision. Alex Hansen (Burlington, CT) went the next four
innings for WPI, allowing only a run, to earn his first win of the
season (1-0).
McClune was 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Engineers, who also
received two hits from Watkins and Dignum. Galligan, Dignum and
McGregor each drove in two runs for the hosts. Callahan and
DH Ryan McCarthy (Shrewsbury, MA) each went 3-for-4 for
Framingham State, with Callahan pacing the Rams with two runs
scored.
Baseball will continue its homestand on Saturday when it will host Wheaton in a NEWMAC doubleheader at noon. Framingham State will also play a doubleheader on Saturday at Mass. Maritime at noon.
Release courtesy of WPI Sports Information.