Baseball Heads North With 7-3 Record

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team concluded its 2014 spring trip with a 7-3 record after splitting with Worcester State. Wentworth took a 9-3 decision in the opener before losing, 4-3 in the nightcap.

Worcester State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when freshman Dan McGuill (East Longmeadow, Mass.) led off with a walk and came home when freshman Jake Ryan (Whitinsville, Mass.) delivered a two out triple.

The Leopards took a 4-1 lead with a four-run fourth inning. Freshman Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.) drove in two with a single up the middle and went to second on an error. After being moved to third on a groundout from sophomore Greg Confessore (West Hartford, Conn.), Burst came home when junior Scott Ouellette (Lewiston, Maine) bunted him home.

Wentworth increased its lead to 9-1 in the fifth as Burst had an RBI single, Confessore drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, junior Anthony Matera (Trumbull, Conn.) had an RBI single, and senior Jon Spitz had a two-run single.

The Lancers scored a single run in both the sixth and seventh innings as Ryan came home on a passed ball in the sixth and sophomore Steve Wallace (Auburn, Mass.) scored on an error.

Junior Dakota Baird (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.) picked up the win (1-0) as he allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits, walked one, and struck out two. Spitz and Burst each had two hits and three RBI while sophomore Sam McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) added two hits.

Freshman Kris Doyle (Millbury, Mass.) picked up the loss (0-1) as he allowed four runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out four. Ryan paced the offense with a pair of hits.

Game two saw Worcester State score single runs in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead. In the first inning, junior Zach George (Attleboro, Mass.) led off with a walk and came around to score on a fielding error after Wallace singled. An inning later freshman Joe Kasper (Lynn, Mass.) led off with a double and moved to third on a groundout. He came in to score when senior Dan Ubele (Tyngsboro, Mass.) grounded out.

The Lancers doubled their lead in the fourth inning when freshman Adam Barry (Auburn, Mass.) delivered a two-run single, which scored sophomore Dennis Duplessis (Marlboro, Mass.) and Ubele.

In the top of the fifth inning, Wentworth pulled within one as freshman Jimmy Temte (Northborough, Mass.) led off with a walk and went to second on a balk. He came in to score on an RBI single from classmate Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.). Ferri, who moved to second on an error after his single, went to third when Matera singled and took second on the throw. Spitz would reach on an error, scoring Ferri, and junior Jim Collins (Bedford, Mass.), who was a pinch runner, scored on a senior Paul Dassau (Franklin, Mass.) single.

After back-to-back strikeouts too begin the seven inning, junior Joe Hulme (Tewksbury, Mass.) singled down the right field line and went to second on a single off the bat of classmate Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.). However, the comeback attempt was thwarted when a fly out to center ended the game.

Junior Joe Perlak (Chicopee, Mass.) earned his first win of the season (1-0) as he allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits, walked one, and struck out two in four innings of work. Classmate Joe Libuda (Auburn, Mass.) earned the save as he pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks and struck out a pair. Six different players recorded hits while Barry drove in two.

Freshman Zach Bernier (North Dartmouth, Mass.) saw his record slip to 1-1 as he allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and walked three in four innings of work. Sophomore Corey Jerolomon (New Milford, Conn.) pitched the fifth inning, allowing one hit, while junior Justin Voytek (New Milford, Conn.) pitched a scoreless sixth. At the plate, Mailman and Ferri had two hits apiece.

Wentworth is scheduled to open its northern schedule on Wednesday at Brandeis.