Baseball Wraps up Spring Trip With Pair of Losses to Emerson

SANFORD, Fla. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team wrapped up its spring break trip on Saturday, dropping a pair of games to Emerson. The Leopards were edged in the first game, 4-3, and lost the nightcap, 8-2.

Game One:  Emerson 4, Wentworth 3
A pitcher's duel between junior Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.) and Emerson's Cal Laird yielded zero runs through the first three and a half innings. Wentworth jumped on the board in the home half of the inning when senior Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.) led off with a walk and went to second on a balk. Weninger walked and both players moved ahead 90 feet on the second balk of the inning. Burst then scored on a wild pitch which moved Weninger to third and, after an out was recorded, sophomore Jake Smith (Orange, Conn.) doubled down the left field line. After the second out was recorded, junior Tim Elrick (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) reached on an error which brought Smith home.

Emerson scored all of its runs in the top of the inning as Nolan Megna led off reaching on an error and went to second on a Clint Fontanella single. A pinch-hit single from Danny Johnson brought Megna in and, after a sacrifice bunt moved Fontanella and Johnson to second and third, Tim Quitadamo delivered a two-run single to tie the score. After a fielder's choice loaded the bases. Weninger got a popup for the second out of the inning, however Pablo Feldman singled to center to give the Lions the 4-3 lead.

Sam Knox picked up the win (2-0) in relief for Emerson, pitching 3.1 scoreless innings. Five different players had hits for the Lions.

Weninger was tagged with the loss (1-1), allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits while walking one and striking out four. Burst, Smith, and Elrick had hits for Wentworth.

Game Two:  Emerson 8, Wentworth 2
The Lions took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Mitch Moorman led off with a double and went to third on a Neil Perry single. A fielder's choice by Feldman erased Perry but allowed Moorman to score.

Wentworth evened the game in the top of the third. After a ground out, freshman Owen Swanson (New Milford, Conn.) singled to center. Sophomore Matt Smith Horseheads, N.Y.) grounded out which moved Swanson to second and he came around to score on a senior Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) single.

Emerson scored four times in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-1 lead with two of the runs coming on a Megna triple to center field. The Lions added two more in the fourth on a two-run single from Feldman to take a 7-1 lead.

The Leopards closed the gap to 7-2 in the top of the fifth on an RBI double from Ferri, which scored Matt Smith, however in the bottom of the inning Emerson got the run back on an RBI single from CJ Rogers.

Wentworth threatened in the top of the sixth but would leave the bases loaded. A one-out single to center by senior Jimmy Temte (Northborough, Mass.) was followed by a strikeout. Sophomore Ross Golebiewski (Lyme, Conn.) singled to move Temte to second and Elrick singled to left to load the bases. However, a strikeout ended the threat.

Jack Fox picked up his first win (1-0) for Emerson, allowing two runs on eight hits and striking out five in six innings of work. Moorman and Perry had three hits apiece.

Junior Robby Sheldon (Dover, N.H.) took the loss (0-1), allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and striking out four. Ferri was 2-for-4 with two RBI while Temte was 2-for-3.

Wentworth (7-3) is slated to open its northern schedule Thursday at Mass. Maritime.

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