Baseball Opens TCCC Tournament Play With 3-1 Win

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Senior Jake McManus' (Hopkinton, N.H.) two-run triple in the bottom of the sixth inning broke a scoreless tie, while classmate Doug Papuga (Branford, Conn.) pitched a complete game five-hitter to pace Wentworth past Salve Regina, 3-1, in an opening round game of the 2011 The Commonwealth Coast Conference Baseball Tournament played at Northeastern University's Friedman Diamond.

Senior Ben Danker (Branford, Conn.) paced the Leopards with three hits, while classmate Matt Jordan (Concord, N.H.) added a pair of hits in the win.  Seahawk senior Alexander Melcher (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and freshman Anthony Conte (Georgetown, Mass.) each had two hits for the visitors.

Both Papuga and Seahawk senior Charles Matarazzo (Montville, N.J.) had a pitcher's duel during the early portion of the game, with Papuga getting out of a first and second jam in the second inning and stranding a runner in scoring position in the fourth inning.

Salve Regina had its best chance to break the 0-0 deadlock in the fifth inning as senior Brendan Tapley (Narragansett, R.I.) drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a single through the left side by Conte.  Junior Nicholas Politelli (Warwick, R.I.) grounded out, advancing both runners into scoring position, but Papuga induced a groundout back to the mound and a groundout to third to end the threat.

In the home half of the fifth, the Leopards threatened with two outs.  Sophomore Ryan Delgado (Wareham, Mass.) singled up the middle and Papuga laced a double just inside the right field line.  However, Matarazzo induced a groundout to short to end Wentworth's chances.

An inning later the Leopards would do all their scoring, thanks in part to McManus' triple.  Freshman Jon Spitz (Hanover, Mass.) drew a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second by junior Conner Flisnik (Marcy, N.Y.).  Danker hit a bloop single to left center, which Spitz had to hold up on, and McManus hit a ball in the gap to right center to clear the bases.  A batter later, McManus would come home on a senior Mike Diodato (Asbury, N.J.) sacrifice fly.

Salve Regina scored in the top of the seventh when junior Michael O'Neill (Pawtucket, R.I.) hit a home run over the bullpens in left field to lead off the inning.  Conte delivered a one-out single through the left side, but the Seahawks hit into their second double play of the game to end the inning.  In the eighth inning Matarazzo drew a one-out walk, and, with two outs, stole second base.  However, he was left there when Papuga induced a groundout to end the inning.

The Leopards threatened to add to their lead in the home half of the eighth as Danker led off with a single before being put out when McManus reached on a fielder's choice.  Diodato delivered a single to center, but senior reliever Craig Silva (Marlborough, Mass.) got a flyout and strikeout to end the inning.

Down to their final at bat, Papuga set Salve Regina down in order, with a pair of groundouts sandwiched around a strikeout.

Papuga improved to 5-2 on the year, allowing one run on five hits, walking three and striking out three.  Sixteen of his 27 outs were groundouts, including nine to Diodato.

Matarazzo suffered his first loss of the season, falling to 6-1.  He allowed three runs on eight hits, while walking two and striking out one in seven innings of work.  Silva allowed two hits and struck out one in the eighth.

With the win Wentworth improves to 23-13 and will travel top-seeded 25th-ranked Western New England (33-8), a 6-5 winner over Colby-Sawyer, in a second round contest on Wednesday.  The contest marks just the second post-season matchup between the two, with the other being a Golden Bear 6-4 win in the 2008 TCCC title game.  Salve Regina falls to 20-20 and will host Colby-Sawyer (14-21) in an elimination round game on Wednesday.  The winner of that contest will travel to the loser of the Wentworth/Western New England contest for a third-round game on Friday.