Worcester, MA --- WPI baseball trailed by nine through six innings before staging a late five-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning that came up shy in a 12-7 loss to NEWMAC rival MIT in a Tuesday game played at Assumption College.
The matchup pitted against each other two of the three teams tied atop the NEWMAC standings headed into the day, with the Cambridge Engineers (11-6, 8-2) taking sole possession of first place over WPI (14-8, 7-3), and Wheaton (18-6, 7-2), which saw its game against Coast Guard postponed due to weather.
MIT starter K.J. Parent (Knoxville, TN) quelled the Boynton Hillers over seven innings, allowing eight hits, but holding the home side to two runs. Creed Mangrum (Sandy, UT) went 3 for 5 for MIT, while Hayden Cornwell (Newport Beach, CA) went 2 for 5 and Patrick Dayton (Archer City, TX) scored three times.
Sean Greene (Hingham, MA) was a steady force throughout the game for WPI, going 4 for 4.David Trujillo (Sutton, MA) (2 for 4), John Caliri (Hanson, MA) and Brendan Walsh (Windham, NH) had run-scoring singles during the ninth inning.
It was all MIT before then, though, as the visitors jumped on top 5-0 in the top of the first in an inning highlighted by a two-run single down the right field line from Sean Karson (Orlando, FL). Karson went 2 for 4 with three RBI overall.
Greene got one back for WPI in the bottom half of the inning, closing it to 5-1 with a double to left scored Sean Kelly (Shrewsbury, MA) (2 for 5, three runs).
Again WPI responded, cutting it to 11-2 after Kelly hit a leadoff single and then came home on a Walsh double play ball.
Greene and Sean Fallon (Westwood, MA) each also pitched one scoreless inning for WPI, Greene the seventh and Fallon the ninth.
WPI resumes on Wednesday with a 3:30pm makeup game against Worcester State. MIT will play at Amherst College at 3:30pm Wednesday as well.
Release by Carl Setterlund - WPI Athletics Intern - Emerson '14