MIT Eliminates Eastern Connecticut State From New England Regional
Drago, Tew Connect On Homers In First NCAA Triumph For Engineers
Harwich, Mass. – Fifth-seeded MIT eliminated first-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) from the NCAA Division III Baseball New England Regional Tournament on Thursday morning at Whitehouse Field with a 6-2 victory, the Engineers first-ever NCAA Tournament win in program history.
The Engineers (25-14), who are making their making second-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and third overall in the last four years, will play the loser of No. 2 Southern Maine and No. 3 Tufts University on Friday, May 16 at 1 p.m.
The Warriors' season comes to a close at 32-9 overall in their first national baseball playoff appearance since 2011 and 33rd overall. In game two of the tournament yesterday afternoon, ECSU trailed eighth-seeded Mitchell for the entirety of the contest before falling to the Mariners by a 4-3 score in 11 innings.
MIT sophomore Nicholas Locascio (Naples, Fla.) scattered nine hits in a complete game effort, allowed just two runs (both earned) and issued one walk alongside a game-high six strikeouts to improve to 5-2 overall.
Eastern Connecticut State sophomore Patrick O'Neill (Thomaston, Conn.) went 5 2/3 innings, yielded seven hits, five runs (all earned), two walks and two strikeouts in the loss (5-1).
The Warriors took their first lead of the New England Regional in the second inning as junior right Kyle Hart (Guilford, Conn.) ripped an RBI single up the middle to plate senior Nik Ververis (Plainfield, Conn.) from third base.
Ververis led off the frame with a single down the right field line and advanced to second base via a walk by sophomore Andrew Scully (Stratford, Conn.) before both runners completed a double steal to put a pair of runners into scoring position. Hart then took a 1-1 offering from Locascio and lined it up the middle for his 19th RBI of the season.
In the bottom of the third, MIT freshman John Drago (Peoria, Ariz.) evened the score at 1-1 with a solo home run to left field, his fifth of the 2014 campaign.
ECSU responded in the next half inning to reclaim a 2-1 advantage as Hart drove in his second run of the contest with a sac fly to center field. Scully helped set up the scoring with a one-out single to right-center field, while senior Gavin Lavallee (New Milford, Conn.) notched a base-hit down the right field line to push Scully to third base for the eventual go-ahead run.
MIT countered with four runs on four hits, no errors and one runner left on base in the sixth for a commanding 5-2 margin. Sophomore Nate Rodman (Corvallis, Ore.) connected for an RBI double to left-center field, while junior Parker Tew (Chapel Hill, N.C.) belted a two-run homer to left field, his second of the season, for a 4-2 gap. Senior Jon Rea (Palo Alto, Calif.) capped the scoring outburst with a run-producing single through the left side of the infield.
Locascio made quick work of the Warriors in the bounce back inning despite giving up a two-out single up the middle as he induced a pop out and struck out two batters.
The Engineers also tacked on an insurance run in the bottom half of the seventh on a throwing error.
Drago finished the contest going 4-for-5 with one run scored and one RBI out of the leadoff spot for the Engineers. Rodman also went 2-for-3 with a run scored and one RBI, while Ververis and Scully both produced multi-hit games for the Warriors in the loss.
MIT had entered the day winless in seven NCAA Tournament tries as each of their last five contests have been the morning game at the New England regionals.