Wentworth Edges Drew in 10 Innings, 6-4

WINTER HAVEN, Florida – Senior Matt Jordan (Concord, N.H.) went 3-for-5 at the plate and earned his first save by pitching a scoreless 10^th inning as the Wentworth baseball team used one run in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 4-all and tallied two in the top of the 10^th inning to defeat Drew, 6-4, in a non-conference game played at Polk State College.

The two teams battled through a scoreless first four frames with the teams combining for just four hits during that time.  Both starters – Leopard freshman Ben Lewis (Middletown, R.I.) and Ranger senior Evan Martens (Avon, Conn.) combined to set down the first 16 batters they faced.

Wentworth broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning when senior Jake McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) led off with a single and went to second on a base hit from classmate Mike Diodato (Asbury, N.J.).  Both went up 90 feet when junior Justin Bolla (Groveland, Mass.) sacrificed them over before senior Brendon Duffy (Lynn, Mass.) plated McManus with a groundout RBI and sophomore Jeff Crawford (Westfield, Mass.) singled to right to score Diodato.

The Rangers countered with three of their own in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-2 lead as senor Corey Napier (Chester, Conn.) had an RBI single that scored junior Drew Obergfell (Cranford, N.J.), who had led off the inning by reaching on an error.  Junior Kyle O'Neill (Basking Ridge, N.J.) delivered an RBI single to left that scored freshman Matthew Kaplon (Palisades Park, N.J.) and tied the game at 2-all before a single through the left side from sophomore Chris DelMaestro (Hillsborough, N.J.) loaded the bases.  Sophomore Michael Bodden (Toms River, N.J.) flew out to right and O'Neill would get caught in a rundown long enough for Napier to score the go-ahead run.

Back-to-back one out singles from Bolla and Duffy placed runners on first and third for the Leopards in the seventh before Crawford delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Bolla and tied the game at 3-all.  Sophomore Alex Wong (Lewiston, Maine) pinch ran for Duffy and stole second.  On a hit by Jordan, he was thrown out trying to score the go-ahead run.

Napier opened the Drew seventh by reaching on a two-base error and was sacrificed to third by O'Neill.  DelMaestro walked to place runners at first and third before Bodden would reach on a fielder's choice, which allowed DelMaestro to be safe at second on an error and Napier to put the Rangers ahead, 4-3.

With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Bolla was hit by a pitch and was replaced by a pinch runner, freshman Paul Dassau (Franklin, Mass.).  Dassau would steal second and went to third on a wild pitch before sophomore Ryan Delgado (Wareham, Mass.) laced a single to center on a 2-2 count, which plated Dassau with the tying run.

After Drew went down in order to end the ninth, Wentworth, playing its second extra inning game in as many days, got a leadoff single from Jordan to open the 10^th.  He was erased when freshman Jon Spitz (Hanover, Mass.) hit into a fielder's choice.  Spitz moved to second on a groundout by senior Doug Papuga (Branford, Conn.) and scored when junior Joe Meucci (West Hartford, Conn.) hit a triple to left, which gave the Leopards a 5-4 lead.  Meucci came around to score when McManus reached on an error.

Jordan, who had played the first nine innings in center field and made a running catch on a Bodden fly ball to end the ninth, gave up a leadoff double to freshman Benny Lyman (Flemington, N.J.) and hit junior Tom Murray (Brick, N.J.) to place the tying runs on the bases with no outs.  He would set down the next three batters on a popup of a sacrifice bunt attempt and a pair of strikeouts to preserve the win.

Freshman Mike Berry (Belfast, Maine) picked up his first collegiate win (1-0) after he allowed just one hit over 2.1 innings of relief work.  He had come on for Lewis in the seventh after Lewis allowed four runs (one earned) on seven hits, and struck out two.  In addition to Jordan's three hits, junior Conner Flisnik (Marcy, N.Y.) had a pair of hits, while Crawford drove in two runs.

Sophomore Pat Rock (Cranston, R.I.) took the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits with a pair of strikeouts in three innings.  He came on in relief of Martens, who had allowed three runs on eight hits over the first seven innings.

Wentworth (3-2) is idle until playing Trine on Thursday morning.  Drew (1-3) faces Colby-Sawyer tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.