Baseball Wraps Up Spring Trip With Two Wins

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Sophomore Zack Bernier (North Dartmouth, Mass.) and freshman Robby Sheldon (Dover, N.H.) combined to strike out 14 batters in 12 innings and sophomore Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.) and senior Scott Ouellette (Lewiston, Maine) had four hits each as the Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team concluded its spring trip with a doubleheader sweep of Colby-Sawyer. The Leopards took the first game, 7-2, and completed the sweep with a 10-1 win in the nightcap.

The Chargers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, taking advantage of two Wentworth errors. Freshman Drew Inglesi (Franklin, Mass.) eventually scored on an error after a leadoff walk and senior Rob Wallace (Tewksbury, Mass.) delivered an RBI single. The Leopards got a run back in the home half of the inning when sophomore Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.), who drew a leadoff walk, came around to score on a wild pitch.

Wentworth tied the game in the fourth inning when Ouellette hit a one-out single, went to second on a single from junior Johnny Ryan (Brandt Rock, Mass.), and reached third on a fielder's choice from sophomore Jimmy Temte. Ouellette scored when Temte stole second and Ouellette was caught in a run down, scoring on an errant throw.

In the fifth inning Wentworth used a five-run frame to take the lead for good. Burst had an RBI double, freshman Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.) hit a two-run home run, and Ryan had an RBI double and would score on an error.

Bernier improves to 1-1 as he allowed two unearned runs on seven hits, walked two, and struck out eight. Senior Justin Voytek (New Milford, Conn.) pitched a scoreless seventh, allowing one hit. At the plate, Burst, Ouellette, Ryan, and junior Greg Confessore (West Hartford, Conn.) each had a pair of hits with Weninger driving in two.

Junior Mike Peters (Melrose, Mass.) took the loss (0-1) as he allowed seven runs (five earned) on nine hits and struck out four in 4.2 innings of work. Freshman Brendan Thurber (Ashland, Mass.) had two hits for the Chargers.

Wentworth would get all the runs it would need in the top of the first inning of game two, scoring two times. With the bases loaded due to a pair of walks and a hit by pitch, Burst drove in Ferri with a fielder's choice and senior Joe Hulme (Tewksbury, Mass.) would score when Burst stole second and an errant throw followed.

The Leopards tacked on two in the third when Ouellette doubled in Weninger and scored after junior Sam McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) reached on an error.

Wentworth increased its lead to 6-0 in the fourth when Ferri scored on a wild pitch and Weninger drove in senior Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.), who had drawn a one-out walk.

Colby-Sawyer scored its lone run of the game in the home half of the fourth when freshman Connor Henry (East Boston, Mass.) drove in sophomore Nathan Frongillo (Haverhill, Mass.), who had a one-out single.

A two-run home run from Mailman, which also scored Ferri, highlighted the top of the sixth and gave the Black & Gold an 8-1 lead and a Hulme RBI double and Mailman sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh rounded out the scoring.

Sheldon improved to 2-0 in his rookie campaign as he allowed one run on five hits and struck out six in six innings of work. Senior Dakota Baird (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.) pitched a scoreless seventh. Burst and Ouellette had a pair of hits each and Mailman drove in three runs.

Sophomore Chris Mitchell, Jr. (Avon, Mass.), pitched 3.2 innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on three hits and struck out four. Henry had two of the five Charger hits.

Wentworth concludes its spring trip with a 7-3 record for the second straight year and will be at Fitchburg State on Saturday, March 21.