Harwich, MA --- Western New England sophomore Steve Buckley (Monroe, CT) went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in the fourth inning to help lead the fourth-seeded Golden Bears to a 5-2 triumph over #5 MIT in the NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament this morning at Whitehouse Field.
Western New England (32-11) moves on to play the winner of the top-seeded Southern Maine, #8 Daniel Webster contest tomorrow at 4:30 PM. The Engineers (27-11) try to stay alive in the regional tomorrow in an elimination game at 9:30 AM against the loser of today's 1 o'clock match-up.
The Engineers opened the scoring in the top of the second when sophomore KJ Parent (Knoxville, TN) drove in sophomore Parker Tew (Chapel Hill, NC) for the early 1-0 edge.
But then Buckley hammered his team-leading fifth homer of the season with a shot to left field to help give Golden Bears the 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
Western New England made the advantage 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by senior Taylor Perun (Plainville, CT) and a run scoring single up the middle by sophomore Steve Buckley (Monroe, CT).
MIT, however, cut the deficit in half when sophomore Hayden Cornwell (Newport Beach, CA) blasted his squad-best fourth dinger of the season for a solo round tripper that cleared the left field fence.
The Golden Bears chipped in with an insurance run in the top of the eighth on an RBI single by senior Mike Rubino (Northford, CT), who scored Schult.
Western New England junior Brendan Nugent (Milford, CT) improved his record to 8-1 in the triumph as he allowed two earned runs and scattered eight hits over his seven innings of work. Nugent fanned four and did not walk a batter.
Sophomore Nick Salerno (Essex Junction, VT) tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth to pick up his third save of the campaign. Salerno rung up three on strikes and issued one free pass.
Senior Max Ockner (Chesterfield, MO) shouldered the loss for MIT. Ockner (5-3) yielded four earned runs on six hits to go with one walk and one punchout.
Schult was also 2-for-3 for Western New England as McKinney and Parent both chipped in with two base-knocks for the Engineers.
MIT actually led in the hitting department with a final tally of 9-8 with three extra-base hits, but they stranded four in scoring position as they nearly had a base runner on in every inning.