THE BASICS:
- Records: MIT (15-12-1, 7-6 NEWMAC); WPI (20-12, 6-7 NEWMAC)
- Scores: MIT 7, WPI 6
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Fran O'Brien Field)
- The Lead: Trailing 6-4 heading into the ninth inning, the MIT baseball team picked up a 7-6 walkoff win as junior Thomas Allison (Kingwood, Texas) launched a line-drive, three-run homer to defeat WPI on Wednesday afternoon.
A LOOK AT THE PREGAME:
- Prior to the game, MIT police officer Darren Deegan threw out the ceremonial first pitch as this marks the six-year anniversary of the tragic events at the 2013 Boston Marathon and the murder of MIT police officer Sean Collier in the ensuing manhunt. The MIT baseball team wears Collier's badge number of 179 on their hats each season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Engineers put up single runs in the second and third innings behind an RBI double to right center from sophomore Ethan Rolland (Burke, Va.) in the second and a deep solo home run to right by sophomore Andrew Krause (St. Louis, Mo.) in the third. WPI answered with two runs in the top of the fourth as Michael Fraser's two-RBI double down the left field line scored Steven Gallagher and David Larson.
- The Worcester Engineers took the lead on an RBI groundout in the fifth, followed by three runs in the eighth following a two-run homer to dead center from Larson and a solid home run to right from Jordan DeDonato that made the score 6-3 in favor of WPI.
- MIT pulled within 6-4 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth as senior Jared Schwait (Boca Raton, Fla.) doubled to right center to bring first-year Cory O'Shea (Glen Allen, Va.) around from first on the hit-and-run.
- After sophomore Casey Bussone (Danvers, Mass.) kept WPI off the scoreboard in the top of the ninth, the hosts headed to the bottom of the frame with the heart of the order coming up. Junior Matt Johnston (Portola Valley, Calif.) drew a leadoff walk, followed by a bloop single to left center by Krause that fell in. That set the stage for Allison, who's sixth home run of the year went deep to right field and lifted MIT to the dramatic win in the first of two games with WPI.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Krause was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and three walks, while O'Shea was 2-for-3 and Schwait went 1-for-4 with two RBI. For WPI, Tyrone Patterson went 2-for-4 in the No. 2 spot in the lineup, along with two hits from DeDonato and two RBI each from Larson and Fraser.
- For MIT, Bussone got the win as he went two innings and slowed three runs on three hits and is now 3-2 on the year. Senior Patrick Callahan (Vicksburg, Mich.) threw the first seven innings for MIT, scattering six hits for three runs and six strikeouts.
- WPI reliever Dominic Fusco came on in the ninth and gave up the three runs on the homer and falls to 2-1 on the year. Alexander Mondro was the starter for WPI, going the first five innings with four hits, three runs (two earned), four walks and five strikeouts.
UP NEXT:
- MIT returns to the field on Friday, April 19th as the Engineers travel to No. 16/17 Wheaton College for a 3:30 p.m. start to open a three-game weekend series.
STAY CONNECTED:
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