THE BASICS:
- Records: MIT (3-2); Salem State (3-3)
- Scores: Game One: MIT 3, Salem State 2 (8 Innings); Game Two: MIT 5, Salem State 1 (7 Innings)
- Location: Danvers, Mass. (Frates Diamond - St. John's Prep)
- The Lead: On a blustery Saturday afternoon, the MIT baseball team swept Salem State by finals of 3-2 and 5-1 in a non-conference doubleheader that was played at St. John's Prep.
Game One
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The two starting pitchers kept the game scoreless through the first five innings as MIT's Patrick Callahan (Vicksburg, Mich.) scattered three hits with five strikeouts over five innings pitched. Salem State's Brock Riley got into the seventh inning with 12 strikeouts before the Engineers finally got on the board and chased him from the game.
- The first run came for the Vikings in the top of the seventh as Zac Duval got the inning going with a single to center. With two outs, Luke Eggers singled down the left field line to score Duval before getting thrown out in a rundown between first and second.
- Tim Catalano came on to pitch for the Vikings to start the bottom of the seventh as the Engineers needed at least one run to extend the game. Junior Matt Johnston (Portola Valley, Calif.) singled to left to open the inning and stole second before coming around to score on an RBI single by senior Alec Kushner (Cooper City, Fla.).
- Salem State regained the lead in the eighth on a bases-loaded, two-out walk before the Engineers put together the game-winning rally. Senior Jared Schwait (Boca Raton, Fla.) reached first on a passed ball after striking out and eventually tied the game at 2-2 with an unearned run. After Johnston fouled out to the second baseman for the second out, sophomore Ethan Rolland (Burke, Va.) scored the winning run on a wild pitch that went to the backstop.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Kushner led MIT with a 2-for-3 offensive showing, while Eggers was the lone Viking with multiple hits as he was 3-for-3.
- First-year Jonah Scott (Oak Park, Calif.) earned his first career win in 0.1 innings of relief for the Engineers. For Salem State, Stephen Keskinidis dropped to 0-1 as he was tagged for two runs and one hit in 0.2 innings of play.
Game Two
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Game two stayed scoreless through the first four innings, including three innings of hitless ball by MIT's Zack Kopstein (Tiburon, Calif.). The Engineers got on the board with an unearned run in the fourth as Johnston reached on an error and later scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Kushner for the 1-0 edge.
- The Vikings tied the game in the sixth with a two-out run by Mike Griffin following Shawn Rebell's RBI single up the middle. Griffin reached earlier in the inning on a two-out fielder's choice. The game only remained at 1-1 until the bottom of the sixth when MIT sophomore Zach Roberts (West Chester, Pa.) launched a grand slam to left to put the Engineers in front by a 5-1 margin.
- In the top of the seventh, Salem State loaded the bases with no outs before sophomore Casey Bussone (Danvers, Mass.) struck out two and got the final out on a flyout to right to secure his first victory of the year. Bussone went four innings on relief with four strikeouts and nine hits allowed.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Dylan McCormick took the loss for the Vikings, lasting 0.2 innings of relief and allowing four hits and four earned runs. The Engineers were outhit 9-5 in the game as four Vikings each had multiple hits.
- Johnston scored twice for MIT and both Roberts and Schwait drew a pair of walks.
UP NEXT:
- MIT returns to action on Tuesday, March 19th as the Engineers travel to Suffolk University in a 4 p.m. start.
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