Baseball Takes Two From Greenville

LEESBURG, Florida – The Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team improved to 3-1 on the season as the Leopards swept Greenville, 7-6 and 6-2, in non-conference action at Pat Thomas Stadium.

With the wins the Leopards improve to 3-1 while the Panthers fall to 2-2.

In the opener, the Panther scored five times over their first two at bats to take a 5-0 lead. Senior Hunter Bryan (Fairfield, Ill.) delivered a two-run single in the first, and, after being doubled over to third, scored on a Wentworth fielding error. An inning later, sophomore Tommie Brown (Meridian, Miss.) delivered a single to center and would eventually come around to score on an infield single off the bat of junior Jared Storment (Salem, Ill.).

Wentworth got on the board in the bottom of the third when sophomore Greg Confessore (West Hartford, Conn.) reached on a single, went to second on a throwing error, and went to third when senior Paul Dassau (Franklin, Mass.) walked. Confessore scored when junior Joe Hulme (Tewksbury, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice. Senior Jon Spitz (Hanover, Mass.) made it a 5-2 games when he scored after junior Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.) laced a single to left center.

The Leopards made it a 5-4 game in the bottom of the fifth as sophomore Sam McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) drew a bases-loaded walk which scored Spitz and junior Scott Ouellette (Lewiston, Maine) singled in Hulme. An inning later Wentworth took a 7-5 lead when Hulme hit a single to right, which scored freshman Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) and Spitz followed after an errant throw from the outfield. Two batters later McManus singled in Hulme.

Greenville cut the lead to 7-6 in the top of the seventh as sophomore Dylan Bone (Greenville, Ill.) had an RBI ground out. With two outs the Panthers got a hit from sophomore Tim Osborne (Litchfield, Ill.) to load the bases, however the game ended when a Greenville runner was caught taking too wide of a turn at third and was thrown out trying to retreat.

Junior Justin Voytek (New Milford, Conn.) picked up the win as he pitched an inning plus one batter, allowing one run. Sophomore Johnny Ryan (Brandt Rock, Mass.) earned the save. Confessore had two hits and McManus drove in two runs.

Osborne and Storment had two hits apiece for the Panthers.

In the nightcap, Wentworth scored once in the top of the first as Spitz and Dassau led off with back-to-back singles. Dassau was erased on a double play which moved Spitz to third and he would come in to score when Mailman doubled to left center.

Hulme singled in Spitz, who walked and stole second with one out in the third and Hulme would score after he stole second and was driven in by Mailman to make it a 3-0 game.

Wentworth added two in the fourth on an RBI single from freshman Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.), which plated Ouellette, and Burst came around to score on a junior Anthony Matera (Trumbull, Conn.) single. The Leopards made it a 6-0 game in the top of the seventh when Mailman hit his second double of the game, which scored Dassau.

In the home half of the inning the Panthers cut the lead to 6-2 and would leave the game with the tying run at the plate. Bone hit a two-out, infield single which scored Storment, who had drawn a leadoff walk. Bone would move to second on defensive indifference and would score on a senior Clinton Cernek (Clinton, Wis.) single up the middle. Greenville would load the bases, however freshman Zack Bernier (North Dartmouth, Mass.) go a strikeout to end the game.

Bernier picked up his first collegiate win as he allowing a pair of runs on six hits, walked six, and struck out five. At the plate Mailman was 3-for-4 with three RBI while Spitz and Burst had two hits apiece.

Wentworth faces Penn State-Altoona in a doubleheader on Wednesday in Lakeland, while Greenville plays Franklin & Marshall tomorrow.