AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Solid pitching performances from senior Leo Coehlo (Marlborough, Mass.) and freshman Matt Perconti (Hancock, Maine) and an offense outburst which featured 20 runs on 27 hits helped propel the Wentworth Institute of technology baseball team to a pair of victories over Penn State Fayette. The Leopards took game one, 8-0, before completing the sweep with a 12-2 win in the nightcap.
GAME ONE: Wentworth 8, Penn State Fayette 0
Coehlo spun a complete game, two-hit shutout in which he struck out a career-high 10 batters to pick up the win. Offensively, Wentworth wasted little time getting on the bard, scoring twice in the first inning. Junior Owen Swanson (New Milford, Conn.) led off with a walk and went to third on a sophomore Aidan French (Chicago, Ill.) double. Swanson scored on a senior Andrew Elliott (Rockland, Mass.) sacrifice fly. French went to third on a passed ball, and, after a junior Devin Haberstumpf (Forest Hills, N.Y.) walk, senior Jake Smith (Orange, Conn.) drove French in with a sacrifice fly of his own.
A delayed steal of home by Swanson gave the Black & Gold a 3-0 lead after two innings and an inning later senior Ross Golebiewski reach on an error which drove Elliott in to make it 4-0 through three. Wentworth scored four times in the home half of the sixth inning with French and Elliott each driving in a run with RBI singles and Golebiewski driving in a run with a single which also allowed a second run to score on an error.
Offensively, French was 3-for-4 while Golebiewski was 2-for-4. Both Golebiewski and Elliott drove in two runs apiece.
GAME TWO: Wentworth 12, Penn State Fayette 2
The Nittany Lions jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the home half of the second inning when junior Justin Salom (Brooklyn, N.Y.) drove in sophomore Jaryn Addis (Grindstone, Pa.), who had led off reaching on an error. Salom came around to score on an RBI single off the bat by freshman Trevor Stewart (Grindstone, Pa.).
Wentworth scored three times in the top of the third inning to take the lead. Elliott singled home freshman Matt Masciadrelli (Westfield, Mass.) while Smith had a two-run double in which scored Elliott and Haberstumpf.
The Leopards added to their lead with a three-run fifth inning as Smith doubled in Elliott and Golebiewski singled home Haberstumpf and Smith. An inning later, Wentworth extended its lead to 7-2 when Haberstumpf drove in French with a sacrifice fly.
Using a five-run seventh inning, Wentworth put the game out of reach. Masciadrelli singled home sophomore Kyle Litwin (Jacksonville, Fla.), freshman Nolan McManus (Milton, Mass.) scored on a wild pitch, Elliott singled in Masciadrelli, French scored on an error, and Golebiewski singled in Elliott.
Perconti pitched six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and struck out eight to win his collegiate debut. Junior Caleb Eaton (East Hampstead, N.H.) yielded one hit in the bottom of the seventh to finish the game. Offensively, Elliott was 3-for-4 with two RBI while Masciadrelli also had three hits in four at bats. Haberstumpf, Smith, Golebiewski, and Litwin each collected a pair of hits. Both of Smith's hits were doubles as he drove in three runs.
Wentworth (2-2) plays WPI in a doubleheader on Wednesday morning.
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