Springfield, MA --- Shane Sampson (Worcester, MA) and Vinny D'Ambrosio (Mahopac, NY) paced a 21-hit attack with four base knocks each to lift WPI to a 14-5 victory over Springfield in the nightcap of NEWMAC baseball doubleheader at SC's Berry-Allen Field on Saturday.
The win was the 150th career coaching victory for WPI (9-13, 4-5 NEWMAC) head coach Mike Callahan, while Springfield, which is now 5-9 overall and 2-6 in league play, won the opener 3-0 behind a Alex Williams (East Hartford, CT) three-hit shutout.
There was plenty more offense in the second game as the teams combined for 28 hits in a back-and-forth affair.
WPI scored first in the second inning on an RBI single by Vincent Tavernelli (Plymouth, MA), scoring Sampson, who kept the inning alive with a two-out single to right center.
Springfield answered back in the third with a RBI single by Steve Starr (Lebanon, CT), only to have WPI go back on top after plating two runs in the third off four hits. Sean Kelly(Shrewsbury, MA) and Sampson recorded consecutive RBI singles with two outs to provide the runs.
The Pride evened the game in the fourth with two more runs by Mike McGowan (Franklin, MA) and Billy Paskowski (Wappingers Falls, NY) before WPI tacked on a run in the fifth following a sacrifice fly by Anthony Capuano (Stoneham, MA)
Springfield tied the game for the final time in the fifth thanks to a groundout RBI from Kyle DiFranco (East Longmeadow, MA), which scored Jamie Dougherty (Plymouth, MA), who reached base on an Engineer error to start off the frame.
WPI then seized control of the game for good, erupting for 10 runs in the next two innings off 11 hits. Capuano highlighted the burst with three of his game-best four RBI, including a single in the sixth that scored a pair of runs.
Taylor Landry (Kennebunk, ME) was solid on the mound, earning the win after tossing seven innings, giving up four runs on seven hits while adding five strikeouts.
For the Pride, Eric Chase (Vernon, CT) lasted just 4.1 innings, surrendering eight earned runs on 13 hits.
In the first game of the doubleheader, Williams put forth a dominant effort on the mound to earn his first win of the season. The junior tossed a complete-game three-hit shutout, as he struck out eight of first WPI batters and finished the game without walking a batter.
The Pride provided Williams with offensive support from the first pitch, striking for a run in the first inning. With two outs, Frank Calabrese (East Longmeadow, MA) roped a double, and would score after McGowan blistered a double down the right field line.
Springfield added another run in the third, as Starr came around to score from second on a Sean Smith (Broken Arrow, OK) single that resulted in an error in the WPI outfield. The Pride's final run came two innings later. After Smith led off the frame with a single, he moved to third on a McGowan single to right and crossed the plate on a fielder's choice.
A bunt single by D'Ambrosio in the fourth broke up Williams no-hit bid. He added another single in the sixth, and Capuano delivered the Engineers third and final hit in the bottom of the seventh.
Mark Bentson (Brewster, MA) was charged the loss for the Engineers, as he gave up three runs, two earned, on nine hits while striking out five and walking two as he dropped to 3-1 on the year. Sam Miraglia (West Babylon, NY) pitched a clean seventh, his first of two shutout frames on the day.
Smith and McGowan each had two hits in the victory for Springfield.
Both teams host NEWMAC rivals on Tuesday with WPI taking on Wheaton and Springfield entertaining Clark.
Release Courtesy Springfield Sports Information