Baseball Drops Northern Opener

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Behind the strength of a six-run second inning and a four-run burst in the eighth, the MIT baseball team defeated Wentworth Institute of Technology, 13-4, on Wednesday afternoon. With the win, the Engineers improved to 4-2 on the year while the Leopards' ledger lowered to 7-6.

Junior James McKinney (Wakefield, R.I.) went 1-for-2 on the day as his only hit was two-run homerun and added four runs and three walks for MIT. Senior Bryan Macomber (Los Altos, Calif.) generated a 2-for-4 performance, tacking on two RBI and a walk as sophomore Jon Rea (Palo Alto, Calif.) had a 1-for-2 outing to go along with three runs and two RBI.

On the mound, senior Torre Swanson (Redding, Calif.) earned the start for the Engineers, striking out four batters in two innings. Sophomore Brandon Lowe (Brier, Wash.) had a flawless 1-2-3 outing en route to the win while fellow classmate Tim Wilson (Nacogdoches, Texas) continued the shutout in the fourth inning.

Freshman Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.) went 2-for-4 including a double, two RBI, and one run for Wentworth. Classmate Scott Ouellette (Lewiston, Maine) posted a triple in his three at bats which resulted in two RBI. Sophomore Ben Lewis (Middletown, R.I.) pitched five innings, striking out four and surrendering seven hits and three walks in the loss.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the second, Rea singled to centerfield, plating senior Zach Carr (Chatham, N.J.) and freshman Hayden Cornwell (Newport Beach, Calif.). After a walk to freshman Parker Tew (Chapel Hill, N.C.), an error brought Rea and freshman Reid Bishop (Cypress, Texas) home. A single by Macomber to left field scored McKinney and Tew, resulting in a 6-0 advantage. The Engineers then extended their lead in the fourth inning courtesy of McKinney's two-run homerun to right field.

The Leopards ended the shutout in the fifth frame, generating their own two-out rally. With Mailman and senior Joe Meucci (West Hartford, Conn.) on first and second courtesy of a pair of singles, Ouellette blasted a triple down the right field line to clear the bases. The next inning, Wentworth tacked on two more runs to narrow its deficit to 8-4. Sophomore Jon Spitz (Hanover, Mass.) and senior Conner Flisnik (Marcy, N.Y.) reached on walks and advanced on wild pitches. Mailman followed with a double to centerfield which resulted in the Leopards' final runs of the day.

In the bottom half of the sixth, McKinney drew a walk and then stole second base. A single by Macomber through the left side increased the Cardinal and Gray's margin to 9-4. MIT capped the scoring in the eighth by capitalizing on a hit, a walk, and three hit batters.

MIT kicks off NEWMAC play on Friday, March 16 in a home game versus Wheaton College. Wentworth continues its road trip on Saturday, March 17 in a doubleheader at Johnson & Wales University.

(Release Courtesy of MIT Sports Information)