March 14, 2013

Defense and Late Johnson & Wales Doom WPI in New England Debut

More news about: WPI

Batting

WPI
2B: Anthony Capuano
3B: none
HR: none
Johnson and Wales
2B: James Reyes; Jake Dickerson; Rob Bocchetti
3B: none
HR: none
full stats
East Providence, RI --- Johnson & Wales erupted for five runs in the bottom of the eighth as the Wildcats rallied for a 12-9 victory over visiting WPI in a non-conference baseball contest on Thursday afternoon.  The hosts move to 4-2 on the season while the Engineers, who were making their 2013 New England debut, fell to 4-7. 

Trailing 7-5 with one out in the bottom of the eighth, a Kory Ferullo (Rochester, NH) bases loaded single sliced the WPI lead to one before Zach Boyes' (West Warwick, RI) bases loaded walk leveled the score at 7-7.   It looked like WPI may have escaped without further damage but the Engineers committed a throwing error on the back end of a potential double play that allowed two runs to score.  After a walk reloaded the bases,Jake Dickerson (Garnet Valley, PA) smacked a two-run double and the Wildcats added another run on a subsequent throwing error. 

WPI attempted a rally of its own in the top of the ninth and whittled the lead down to 12-9 on a John McGonagle (Medford, MA) two-run single but Johnson & Wales reliever induced a pop out to end the game.     

Johnson & Wales jumped out to a 2-0 advantage with an unearned run in the first and a Mark Kerwin (Smithfield, RI) run-producing single in the second.  The Crimson and Gray surged ahead 3-2 when Vinny D'Ambrosio (Mahopac, NY) delivered a 2 RBI single in the fourth and D.J. Ouellette(Watertown, CT) notched a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth.  

The Wildcats evened the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the frame and retook the lead following a Rob Bocchetti (East Meadow, NY) pitch hit two-run ground-rule double to left an inning later.  WPI battled back with a four-run top of the seventh highlighted by a Alex Venditti (Newton, MA) RBI single, an Ouellette two-run single and a run-scoring wild pitch. 

Dickerson, Bocchetti and Pete Rosa (Ambler, PA) all raked multiple hits for the hosts while Anthony Capuano (Stoneham, MA) and D'Ambrosio each rapped out three hits for WPI, who outhit the Wildcats 13-10, but were doomed by eight errors. 

Aaron Fenstermache (Dixfield, ME) (1-0) worked a scoreless eighth and earned the win for Johnson & Wales.  Starter John Amodeo (Mahopac, NY) amassed 10 of the Wildcats 13 strikeouts over his six innings of work.   Sean Greene (Hingham, MA) (1-2) took the loss for WPI, despite fanning four in his 1 2/3 innings of work.  Starter David Trujillo (Sutton, MA) struck out six in five innings on the hill for the Engineers. 

WPI opens up NEWMAC play with a three-game series at Babson this weekend.  The opener is slated for 3:30pm on Friday.  Johnson & Wales hosts Thomas Sunday in a 1pm doubleheader.