Winter Haven, FL --- Alex Posch (Hopedale, MA) and Matt Blakeman (Bedford, NH) had key at bats and each registered three hits as WPI swept Trine 7-1 and 13-7 in a non-conference baseball doubleheader at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on Friday. WPI moves to 4-3 while Trine dips to 1-6.
Tied 7-7 going into the ninth, Posch singled and was brought home by a pair of hit batsman and a John Flynn (Albion, ME) hit to right field for the winning run. Kyle Bartosik (Midland Park, NJ) singled up the middle to score two more runs. Another hit batsman advanced the fourth run of the inning. Blakeman hit a 2-RBI single for the 13-7 final.
Posch led off the scoring in the first with a triple followed by an out at first by Mitch McClune(Pembroke, MA). The next inning saw Sean Kelly (Shrewsbury, MA) reach on a single and cross the plate after a trio of walks.
Trine scored four times in the second for the 4-2 lead. The Engineers responded in the third on a 2-RBI double by Kelly and a Will Feraco (Auburn, MA) single to center to bring in three runs for the 5-4 advantage.
In the top of the seventh, Posch doubled to left center to tack on two runs for the Crimson and Gray. Trine would put up three scores of its own to tie the game at 7-7.
The Engineers used five pitchers with Forrest Dwyer (Winthrop, ME) (1-0) recording the win as he faced the final seven batters and gave up only one hit.
Trine scored first in the opening game for its only run of the contest as WPI's Nolan Murphy(Shrewsbury, MA) (1-0) struck out four in five innings of work for the victory and his first win since 2009 NCAA Tournament. The graduate student, who in 2009 tied the school single season win record with eight, missed the entire 2010 campaign after arm surgery.
WPI walked in a pair of runs and Bryan Watkins' 2-RBI single helped score two more as Blakeman's hit brought in the fifth for the 5-1 lead in the first.
Two innings later, Bartosik scored Watkins who was on base courtesy of a walk. The final run came in the fifth as Blakeman doubled down the right field line to bring in Bartosik for a 7-1 final.
Flynn recorded four hits on the day, while Blakeman, Posch and Bartosik finished with three each.
Baseball wraps up their spring break trip tomorrow morning when they take on Rhode Island College in a doubleheader beginning at 8:30 am in Orlando, Florida.
Story by Mark Therrien - WPI Athletics