BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomores Joe Hulme (Tewksbury, Mass.) and Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.) each had two-run singles in the top of the eighth inning to help snap a 1-1 tie and lift the Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team defeat Fitchburg State, 9-5, in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader. The Falcons had handed the Leopards their first loss of the season in the opener, 10-2.
In game one, Fitchburg State took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when senior Randy Ortiz, Jr. (Danielson, Conn.) doubled and went to third on a senior Cody Bamforth (Vernon, Conn.) single. Ortiz scored on a wild pitch, which also put Bamforth on second and Bamforth, who took third on a passed ball, scored when junior David Mason (Leominster, Mass.) delivered a ball to right field that was misplayed.
The Leopards tied the game at 2-all in the bottom of the fifth as junior Jon Spitz (Hanover, Mass.) led off with a single and went to second on a walk by freshman J.P. Dennehy (Danbury, Conn.). Both players went to third when Hulme reached on a sacrifice attempt that drew an offline throw and Mailman had an RBI single to score Spitz. Sophomore Anthony Matera (Trumbull, Conn.) grounded into a double play, which allowed Dennehy to score.
Fitchburg State broke the game open with a 10-run sixth inning as the Falcons sent 14 batters to the plate and scored nine times before an out was recorded. Sophomore Pierce Hans (Washington Township, N.J.) and Bamforth each had two-run singles while Bamforth had two hits in the inning.
Senior Dylan Smith (New London, Conn.) went the distance for Fitchburg State, allowing two runs on six hits, walking five and striking out two. Bamforth was 3-for-4, while freshman Javier Lozada (New Bedford, Mass.), Ortiz, and junior Alex Heroux (Leominster, Mass.) each had a pair of hits. Hans, Bamforth, and senior Matt Zajac (New Hartford, Conn.) each drove in two runs.
Freshman Corey Jerolmon (New Milford, Conn.) took the loss in his first collegiate start, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits, walking two, and striking out four in five-plus innings. Senior Ryan Conrad (East Bridgewater, Mass.) pitched the final two innings for the Black & Gold. Hulme's two hits paced the offense.
Spitz led off the nightcap with a double to right field and gave the Leopards a 1-0 lead on a Mailman RBI single with two outs.
Both teams had chances to score, including when Fitchburg State had the bases loaded in the third, but freshman Ryan Daniels (Bristol, R.I.) got a flyout to end the threat. In the seventh inning the Leopards had a runner in scoring position with one out but could not push the go-ahead run across.
An inning later Wentworth scored eight runs to take a 9-1 lead with Hulme and Mailman delivering back-to-back, two-run singles to make it a 5-1 game, followed by a sophomore Scott Ouellette (Lewiston, Maine) RBI double, a freshman Sam McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) RBI single, a junior Paul Dassau (Franklin, Mass.), who had a key, one-out, bunt single groundout, and a Spitz RBI single.
The Falcons tallied four runs in the home half of the inning, with two of those coming on a two-run, two-out double from senior Jeff Boice (Glastonbury, Conn.), but would get no closer.
Ouellette had three hits for the Leopards, while four players – Spitz, Hulme, Mailman, and Matera – each had two hits. Mailman and Hulme had three and two RBI, respectively.
Senior Ryan DeCotis (Nashua, N.H.) picked up the win, as he allowed three runs and struck out a batter in one-plus inning of work. Conrad pitched an inning, allowing a run on two hits and striking out one. Daniels went the first six innings, allowing one unearned run on six hits, walked three, and struck out three in his first collegiate start.
Boice (two hits, two RBI) and Zajac (two hits) paced Fitchburg's offense, while senior Zachary Bombria (Bolton, Conn.) was tagged with the loss, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out five in seven-plus innings of work.
Wentworth stands at 5-1 and plays Colby-Sawyer in a doubleheader on Friday. Fitchburg State stands at 3-3 and plays Medaille on Thursday.
Fitchburg State 12, Wentworth 2 (03/13/13 at Winter Haven, Fla.) (Game 1)
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Fitchburg State..... 000 20(10) 0 - 12 14 4 (3-2)
Wentworth........... 000 020 0 - 2 6 1 (4-1)
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Pitchers: Fitchburg State - Dylan Smith and Matt Zajac; Brendan Cutler. Wentworth - Corey Jerolmon; Ryan Conrad (6) and Ryan Delgado. Win-Dylan Smith (1-0); Loss-Corey Jerolmon (0-1); T-2:13 A-0
Jerolmon faced 5 batters in the 6th.
Wentworth 9, Fitchburg State 5 (03/13/13 at Winter Haven, Fla.) (Game 2)
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Wentworth........... 100 000 08 - 9 14 1 (5-1)
Fitchburg State..... 000 100 04 - 5 8 3 (3-3)
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Pitchers: Wentworth - Ryan Daniels; Ryan DeCotis (7); Ryan Conrad (8) and Jake Mailman. Fitchburg State - Zachary Bombria; Pat Mercier (8); Max Tejeda (8) and Matt Zajac.
Win-Ryan DeCotis (1-0); Loss-Zachary Bombria (0-1); T-2:18
Bombria faced 1 batter in the 8th.
DeCotis faced 3 batters in the 8th.
