WENHAM, Mass. – The Western New England University baseball team scored a total of 29 runs on 34 hits as the Golden Bears ran their win streak to four with a pair of wins over Wentworth Institute of Technology. Western New England took the first game of the Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader by a 13-0 score before taking the nightcap, 16-2.
Western New England received all of the scoring it would need in the first inning of game one when junior Steve Buckley (Monroe, Conn.) hit a two-run home run to left center. The Golden bears added a single run in the second on a sophomore Kevin Marciano (Pepperell, Mass.) RBI double and would add five more in the third with four coming on freshman Daniel Morin's (Salem, N.H.) grand slam. Marciano recorded his second RBI of the inning when he grounded into a fielder's choice, which scored a run.
In the fifth inning the Golden Bears got an RBI single from Marciano and would add three more in the sixth as Buckley had an RBI double and sophomore Chris Casey (Milford, Mass.) drove in two with a single. Western New England scored a single run in the seventh on an RBI double from sophomore Connor Hayes (Bristol, Conn.).
Senior Mike Lospinuso (West Islip, N.Y.) improved to 3-3 on the year as he threw a five-hit shutout. He walked just one and struck out six in the win. The Golden Bears had 17 hits in the game with Casey going 3-for-4 and Marciano, senior Steve Ambrosino (Laurel Hollow, N.Y.), Buckley, senior Jeff Schult (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.), and freshman Kyle Maglio (Glastonbury, Conn.) had two hits apiece. Morin drove in four runs, Marciano and Buckley drove in three, and Casey drove in a pair.
Sophomore Corey Jerolmon (New Milford, Conn.) fell to 1-2 on the season as he allowed 12 runs (11 earned) on 16 hits, walked three, and struck out four. Sophomore Ryan Daniels (Bristol, R.I.) picthed the seventh, allowing one run one run on one hit, walking one, and striking out one. The Leopards' five hits came from senior Jon Spitz (Hanover, Mass.), juniors Joe Hulme (Tewksbury, Mass.) and Scott Ouellette (Lewiston, Maine), and freshmen Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) and Joe FitzGerald (Uxbridge, Mass.).
Game two saw the Leopards take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when junior Anthony Matera (Trumbull, Conn.) hit a one-out single, went to third on a Hulme single, and scored when junior Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice.
Western New England took advantage of a pair of Leopard errors in the third inning as the Golden Bears sent 14 batters to the plate and scored nine runs. Marciano had a pair of hits and drove in two runs in the frame.
The Leopards made it a 9-2 game with a run in the third when Matera led off with an infield single, went to both second and third on groundouts, and scored on a single from freshman Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.).
A pair of errors played a key part in Western New England scoring seven runs in the fourth inning as the Golden Bears sent 12 batters to the plate. Ambrosino had two hits – including his second double of the game – in the inning.
Senior Ryan Skelly (Derby, Conn.) improved to 2-0 on the season as he allowed a pair of runs on seven hits and struck out two in six innings. Junior Nick Salerno (Essex Junction, Vt.) pitched a scoreless seventh, walking one and striking out one. At the plate, Marciano and Ambrosino had three hits apiece, while sophomore Scott Hubener (Mendon, Mass.), Buckley, Morin, senior Taylor Searles (Seymour, Conn.), and Hayes had two hits apiece. Marciano also drove in three runs.
Freshman Zack Bernier (New Bedford, Mass.) took the loss (2-4) as he allowed nine runs (four earned) on five hits and struck out one in 2.1 innings of work. Ferri allowed seven runs (two earned) on nine hits in 1.2 innings of work while sophomore Johnny Ryan (Brandt Rock, Mass.) and Daniels combined to hold the Golden Bears scoreless over the final three innings, yielding three hits. Matera and Burst had two hits apiece.
With the wins Western New England improves to 12-14 (8-4 CCC) and is at Westfield State on Wednesday. Wentworth falls to 13-14 (6-8) and travels to defending CCC champion Endicott on Friday.