CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After falling behind, 2-0, in the first inning, MIT came roaring back with five runs in the bottom of the sixth and never looked back as the Engineers went on to score in each of their last three innings in a 14-2 non-conference baseball victory over Salve Regina University. Sophomore Creed Mangrum (Sandy, Utah) had three doubles, drove in four runs, and pitched the final three innings for MIT.
Salve Regina (6-11) took advantage of an MIT error in the first to go on top early. With two out and a runner on first, senior Nicholas Ploitelli (Warwick, R.I.) popped up in front of the plate, but the ball fell between two MIT fielders for a hit. Sophomore Dominick Di Sano (Central Falls, R.I.) drew a walk to load the bases before sophomore Nicholas Dell'Anno (Reading, Mass.) hit a short fly to left that MIT's shortstop dropped for an error that allowed two runs to score.
It looked for awhile as if that would be all the run support that Seahawk starter, senior Charles Kwolek (Greenville, R.I.), would need as he allowed just a walk to the first 15 MIT hitters he faced. The first hit that the Engineers would get, a single to left from freshman Hayden Cornwell (Newport Beach, Calif.), did not come until there were two outs in the fifth.
In the sixth the MIT offense sprang to life. Sophomore Jon Rea (Palo Alto, Calif.) led off with a walk and moved to second on a single to center by freshman Parker Tew (Chapel Hill, N.C.). The pair then executed a double-steal and Kwolek's attempt to get Rea at third was errant, allowing him to score. Senior Bryan Macomber (Los Altos, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to put two aboard for Mangrum, who laced his first double of the day to left to tie the score at 2-2. A wild pitch brought in Macomber with the third run of the frame before a throwing error on the Salve shortstop put runners on the corners. Senior A.J. Hansborough (Delton, Fla.) then executed a squeeze bunt, scoring Mangrum and moving junior Ricardo Perez (Vienna, Va.) to second. Cornwell then brought Perez around with a base hit to center to make it 5-2.
MIT starter, senior Chad Hendrix (Richardson, Texas), then sat the side down in order in the sixth to finish his day. He improved to 3-0 on the season, going six innings and allowing five runs and a walk while fanning a pair. Mangrum moved from DH to pitcher in the seventh and finished off the game for the Engineers, allowing just a hit and a walk over the final three innings, striking out three.
A Slave Regina error to start the seventh helped MIT to essentially put the game away with three more runs. Macomber delivered a pair with a single to left and then came around on Mangrum's second double to make it 8-2. The Engineers scored six more in the eighth, with the first six hitters all reaching base and coming around to score. Mangrum added his third double in the inning, a two-run shot to right, with senior Torre Swanson (Redding, Calif.), junior James McKinney (Wakefield, R.I.) and freshman Phil Reiser (Alpharetta, Ga.) adding RBI singles.
Ploitelli led the Seahawks with three hits, going 3-for-3 with a run scored. McKinney and Cornwell each added a pair of hits for MIT.
MIT will play again tomorrow; traveling to Curry College to take on the Colonels at 3:30 p.m. Salve Regina will take the field again on Thursday, March 29 when it hosts Framingham State University at 3:30 p.m.