Northboro, MA --- The WPI baseball team scored three runs without a hit in the top of the ninth inning to rally for a 4-1 win over Emerson at the New England Baseball Complex on Tuesday afternoon. With the win, the Engineers improve to 11-9 (1-2 NEWMAC), while the Lions fall to 11-10 (0-3 NEWMAC).
With the score knotted at 1-1, WPI capitalized on four walks and a hit by pitch to score three runs before holding off a bottom-of-the-ninth-inning rally by Emerson to seal the win. The Engineers' Jack Gomes (Newport, RI) threw an eight-inning gem, allowing just four hits with no earned runs and four strikeouts to move to 3-0 on the season. Noah Pins (Holden, MA) got the save, throwing a scoreless ninth inning.
At the plate for WPI, Jeffrey Brennan (Amsterdam, NY) collected two hits, while Jacob Hand (Niskayuna, NY), Jack Zawacki (Pittsford, NY), and Kyle DeRoma (Dracut, MA) all drove in runs.
Emerson's Quinton Copeland (Houston, TX) and Chris Ferara (Coral Springs, FL) notched two hits each with Copeland driving in the only Lion run.
The Lions opened the scoring in the bottom of the third, capitalizing on a fielding error that put lead-off hitter Jake Okamoto (Placentia, CA) on. A groundout advanced Okamoto to second and he was driven home on a double from Copeland to make it 1-0. Copeland was erased in a rundown for the second out of the frame, and after a fielder's choice and stolen base from Jake Hatch (Carlisle, MA), WPI's Gomes limited the damage with a strikeout to end the frame.
In the top of the sixth, Brennan led off with a double and stole third before DeRoma added the second WPI double of the frame to tie the game at 1-1. Tommy Burns (Morris Plains, NJ) worked a walk to put two on with one out but Emerson's Benny Guevara (Hobart, IN) got a groundout and a pop out to keep the game tied.
Still 1-1, WPI broke through with four in the top of the ninth inning without needing a hit. Gavin George (Salem, NH) was hit by pitch and walks to Gavin George (Salem, NH) and Chris Cavallaro (West Haven, CT) loaded the bases. Two more walks followed as Hand and Zawacki each got RBI free passes before a strikeout and misplay pushed the WPI lead to 4-1. A fielder's choice and strikeout ended the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Emerson had two on with two outs, getting singles from Ferara and Thai Morgan (Waldwick, NJ), but Pins induced a groundout to wrap up the game for the Engineers.
Up next, WPI has a non-conference tilt Thursday at RIC at 3:30pm, while Emerson is at Lesley later that night at 7pm.