Northboro, MA --- Visiting Amherst posted a 19-6 victory over the WPI baseball team on Tuesday afternoon at the New England Baseball Complex, snapping the Engineers' seven-game, season-opening win streak. WPI falls to 7-1 with the loss, while the Mammoths improve to 2-0.
Amherst pounded out 22 hits while taking advantage of five WPI errors in the game. Starting pitcher Jack Sampedro (Miami, FL) got the win for the Mammoths, going four innings, and allowing only one run on one hit with two strikeouts.
Amherst's offense was paced by a 4-for-5 performance from Luke Padian (Katonah, NY) who drove in three runs, and Christian Fagnant (East Granby, CT) who had four RBI on three hits with a double and a home run. Jack McDermott (Yardley, PA) also drove in three runs on three hits with a pair of doubles, while starting pitcher, Sampedro, aided his cause with two hits and three RBI. Jack Dove (Norwalk, CT), Charlie Lafreniere (Norwalk, CT), and Javier Irizarry (Amherst, MA) also added two RBI for the Mammoths.
WPI's Tommy Burns (Morris Plains, NJ) had two hits to pace the Engineers, while DJ Brooks (Danvers, MA), Zachary Roethlein (Pomfret Center, CT), Liam Keblin (Newton, MA), and Spencer Merrick (Abington, MA) all drove in runs. Owen Radcliffe (Holliston, MA) suffered the loss, going four innings, and allowing nine earned runs on 16 hits.
Amherst put up a five-spot in the top of the first inning, setting the tone for the game. A Fagnant homer and doubles from Dove and Padian provided the offense.
In the bottom of the third, a Sampedro sac fly pushed the Amherst lead to 6-1. However, WPI answered in the bottom of the frame with a sac fly from Hand that scored Keblin.
Amherst pushed it to 11-1 with another five-run frame in the top of the fourth inning. McDermott plated a pair with a double to right center, while RBI singles from Sampedro and Fagnant, and a fielder's choice from Irizarry made it a 10-run game.
In the bottom of the fifth, a LeFrenier single to center scored Padian to make it 12-1 Amherst.
WPI added five runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth inning. A bases-loaded single from Merrick started the scoring before an RBI walk from Keblin and a wild pitch made it 12-4. Brooks then singled in another run, while Cash added an RBI walk to cut the Mammoth's lead in half at 12-6.
Amherst got the runs back and more, with six in the top of the seventh. An RBI double off the bat of Fagnant was the big hit of the frame, while Padian, Dove, Sampedro, McDermott, and Irizarry also drove in runs.
The Mammoths closed out the scoring in the eighth inning, adding their 19th run on an RBI fielder's choice from LaFrenier.
WPI is back in action on Thursday, hosting New England College at 3:30pm at the New England Sports Complex. Amherst now heads south to play in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, taking on SUNY Cobleskill on Sunday at 4pm.