A Pair of One-Run Games Highlight Baseball's Split WIth Nichols

HAVERHILL, Mass. – Sophomore Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) and senior Scott Ouellette (Lewiston, Maine) each recorded three hits to help the Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team split with Nichols in a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader played at Trinity Stadium. The Leopards took a 2-1 decision in the opener while the Bison held on for a 5-4 win in the nightcap.

Wentworth stands at 13-10 overall and 5-5 in league play while Nichols is 5-12-1 (2-7-1).

Nichols struck first in the opener when junior Benjamin Harrow (North Reading, Mass.) delivered an RBI single to score freshman Cam Cook (Phoenixville, Pa.), who had reached on a fielder's choice and went to second on a passed ball before coming around to score on the base hit.

The Leopards tied the game up an inning later on a solo home run to right field off the bat of freshman Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.), his third of the season.

Nichols had a chance to take the lead in the top of the seventh when sophomore Anthony Razzano (Shrewsbury, Mass.) singled with one out. He was lifted for a pinch runner – freshman Scott Lynch (Hope, R.I.) – who would steal second. With two outs freshman Brendan Martin (Nashua, N.H.) singled to short, however Lynch was caught going too far around third for the inning's final out.

Senior Anthony Matera (Trumbull, Conn.) would provide the heroics in the bottom of the seventh. Ouellette singled and went to second when junior Sam McManus (Hopkinton, N.H.) reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt. Both players moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch and with two outs Matera put an 0-2 pitch into right field to score Ouellette and give the hosts the win.

Sophomore Aaron Denis (Dover, N.H.) picked up the win (4-1) as he allowed one run on six hits, walked just one, and struck out two. Ouellette had a pair of hits.

Freshman Vincent Amato (Brooklyn, N.Y.) took the loss (1-3) as he allowed a pair of runs on seven hits, walked one, and struck out three. Six different Bison recorded hits.

Wentworth took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two when Ferri led off with a single, went to second when senior Joe Hulme (Tewksbury, Mass.) walked, moved to third on a senior Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.) walk, and scored after sophomore Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.) grounded into a double play. Two innings later the Leopards would take a 2-0 lead when Burst grounded into a bases-loaded double play. Ferri led off with a walk, Hulme was hit by a pitch, and Mailman walked to load the bases.

Nichols took a 5-2 lead in the top of the fourth after sending nine batters to the plate. Freshman Nick Roy (Middletown, Conn.) led off with a single and went to second on a Harrow walk. Freshman Spencer Madden (Nashua, N.H.) laid down a sacrifice bunt which was thrown away and allowed Roy to score and Harrow to move to third. After freshman Nick Osma (Babylon, N.Y.) walked to load the bases, sophomore Mike Piekarczyk (Dudley, Mass.) singled up the middle to score Madden and Harrow. Razzano singled home Osma and sophomore Tim Ford (Stafford Springs, Conn.) hit into a fielder's choice which scored Piekarczyk.

The Leopards pulled within 5-3 in the bottom of the inning when McManus drew a four-pitch walk and went to second on a wild pitch. He would move to third on a fly out by sophomore Jimmy Temte (Northborough, Mass.) and scored on a double off the bat of Matera. Wentworth had a chance to pull within a run in the fifth, however would strand a runner at third to end the inning.

Wentworth nearly pulled off its second comeback of the day and would have done so down to its last at bat. Weninger drew a two-out walk and freshman pinch-runner Tim Elrick (Plymouth, Mass.) went to second on an Ouellette single. McManus walked to load the bases and Temte followed with a bases loaded walk to make it a 5-4 game. However, junior Joseph Nicolace (Cranston, R.I.) got a strikeout to end the game.

Freshman Zach Morgillo (Hamden, Conn.) picked up the win (1-3), as he allowed three runs on three hits, walked eight, and struck out four in five-plus innings. Nicolace came in in the sixth and set down the first five batters he faced. Allowed one run on one hit, walked three, and struck out four to pick up his first save. Harrow was 2-for-3 and Piekarczyk drove in a pair.

Sophomore Zack Bernier (North Dartmouth, Mass.) took the loss (1-2) as he allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits, walked three, and struck out four. Senior Dakota Baird (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.) pitched the seventh, walking two and striking out two. Ferri had two hits and two runs scored.

Both teams continue CCC play on Sunday as Wentworth is at Western New England and Nichols hosts Roger Williams.