Northboro, MA --- Senior Travis Benoit (Worcester, MA) batted 4-for-5 with a double, three RBI and a run scored while Gordon scored eight in the fourth en route to a 10-7 win over host WPI Thursday at the New England Baseball Complex.
Senior Evan Lacroix (Methuen, MA) sent a 1-2 pitch up the middle and stole second. Junior Steven Gallagher (Coventry, RI) then chased him home with a hit through the left side of the infield for the early 1-0 advantage. It took three pitches for the duo to put together a run in the third as Lacroix legged out a first-pitch triple before Gallagher sent a 0-1 sacrifice fly to center. Senior Andrew Gelinas (Saco, ME), meanwhile, allowed one hit and two walks, and struck out four in the first two innings.
Sophomore Keith Scales (Upper Marlboro, MD) faced the minimum in the third as junior Austin Lindner (W. Windsor, NJ) teamed with Gallagher to thwart a stolen base before Gallagher, and sophomores Kyle Wood (Hauppauge, NY) and David Larson (Port Tobacco, MD) ended the inning with a double play. Senior Nick Borsari (Bolton, MA), junior Dominic Fusco (North Haven, CT) and sophomore Nick Colucci (Lynnfield, MA) all enjoyed a 1-2-3 frame to highlight the remainder of the Engineers nine pitchers used in the game.
With the bases loaded and one out, Gordon went on an eight-run scoring spree in the fourth. Sophomore John Lagerfeldt (Stratford, CT) began a string of run-producing hits with a single down the left field line. Classmate Joseph Mack (East Longmeadow, MA) followed with a double to account for a pair of RBI. Senior Matt Moffat (Stratford, CT) and junior Chris Leavitt (East Bridgewater, MA) then delivered singles to force a pitching change. Junior Daniel Quint (Wells, ME) welcomed the new wing with a 0-1 RBI double to right center. A hit batsman loaded the bases and temporarily halted the parade. Junior Christian Hodge (Waltham, MA) and Benoit continued the uprising with a fielder's choice and a hit up the middle. The inning came to a close with a strikeout and a liner to left. Benoit later made it 9-2 as he reached on productive fielder's choice in the sixth and 10-7 with an RBI double in the ninth.
The Engineers put five on the board in the seventh. Lacroix sent a sacrifice fly to center for the first run. Senior Matt Howard (Worcester, MA) singled in a pair and Larson doubled in two more as the Crimson and Gray pulled within two (9-7).
Junior Derek Hudson (Hudson, NH) yielded two runs on six hits and struck out three in four innings of work. Freshman Joe Pedulla (Monroe Township, NJ) struck out three in his three-inning shift. Sophomore Garrett Poole (Rindge, NH) added a pair of Ks in the save. Quint (double) and Hodge (stolen base) also had a pair of hits for the Fighting Scots.
Howard (double) and Lacroix (triple, stolen base) combined for five of the Engineers 10 hits.
Both teams open conference action Saturday at noon. WPI (7-7) entertains MIT in a NEWMAC cross-divisional set while Gordon (5-7) welcomes Wentworth for a CCC twinbill.