Springfield, MA --- Springfield won the regular season series against the WPI baseball team, taking a pair of NEWMAC games on Saturday. The Pride won game one, 9-5, and then took the nightcap 3-2 to move to 9-15-1 overall, 3-6 in conference play. The Engineers fall to 13-15, 2-7 NEWMAC.
Springfield rallied from deficits in both games to earn the sweep. Cadin Maynard (Waterford, CT) led the team with three RBI in game one with Ryan Sorgi (Braintree, MA) driving in a pair. In game two Luke DiMauro (Haddam, CT) drove in two of the team's three runs.
On the mound for the hosts, Ian Benoit (Pittsfield, MA) got the win in relief in game one, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. In game two, Nathan Kelleher-Mochak (Florence, MA) picked up the victory, tossing 2.2 innings giving up one hit with five strikeouts.
For WPI, Jeffrey Brennan (Amsterdam, NY) was 3-for-4 in game one with two runs and two RBI, while Andrew Cash (Marlboro, MA) drove in two runs in the game. Nicholas Battaglino (Marlboro, MA) had the only RBI for the Engineers.
Game One
Springfield rallied from a 5-1 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to take the win in game one.
WPI dented the scoreboard first with three runs in the opening inning. Hand Jacob Hand (Niskayuna, NY) led off with a walk and a stolen base and was sent to third on a groundout setting up an RBI double from Brennan Jeffrey Brennan (Amsterdam, NY). After a strikeout, Cash Andrew Cash (Marlboro, MA) connected for his third homerun of the season, making it 3-0 Engineers.
Springfield cut into the lead in the bottom of the second, as a lead-off single from Lepere Michael Lepere (Beacon, NY) scored on a two-out double off the bat of Cole Zalegowski (North Haven, CT).
Hand and Brennan combined to push two more across for WPI in the top of the fifth. Hand doubled with one out and was sent to third on a groundout. Brennan followed with a triple through the right side to make it 4-1 and later scored on a wild pitch to push it to 5-1.
Springfield tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with four runs on two hits and a WPI error. Zalegowski walked and Joe Traversa (Pittsfield, MA) reached on an error before an RBI groundout from Michael Barrett (Longmeadow, MA) made it 5-2. A Maynard triple scored the second run of the frame before a wild pitch made it 5-4. Sorgi then tied it up with a solo shot, his second of the season.
The Pride took command of the game with a massive two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth that netted four runs, putting the hosts up 9-5. After a pair of groundouts, Springfield used six-straight singles to plate four runs, as Zalegowski, Mark Nofri (Naugatuck, CT), Traversa, Barrett, Maynard, and Sorgi all got base knocks in the succession before a pop-out finally ended the rally.
Both teams' offenses were quiet down the stretch, with Springfield's relieving corps closing out the victory for the Pride.
Game Two
Solo runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings pushed the Pride to a 3-2 victory in the nightcap.
WPI struck first as a lead-off double from Hand was plated on an error on the next batter. The Engineers had runners on first and third with two outs, but a flyout ended the inning.
In the top of the second, WPI added another solo run as a lead-off walk issued to Burns was sent home on a double from Battaglino.
Springfield cut the lead in half with a run in the bottom of the second. Zalegowski doubled with one out and scored on a single up the middle from DiMauro.
Neither team managed much offense until the Pride tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the seventh. DiMauro led off the frame with a triple to right field and scored on a Traversa sac fly.
Springfield took the lead in the bottom of the eighth, going up 3-2. Walks to Maynard, Zalegowski, and Kevin Gower (Seekonk, MA) loaded the bases before another walk, this one to DiMauro pushed a run across the plate.
In the top of the ninth, Springfield reliever Kelleher-Mochak worked around a walk, striking out the side to seal the sweep.
Both teams continue NEWMAC play on Tuesday at 3:30pm. WPI will host MIT, while Springfield entertains Emerson.