Northboro, MA --- The WPI baseball team routed visiting New England College, 18-4, in Thursday afternoon action at the New England Baseball Complex. The Engineers improve to 8-1 overall, while the Pilgrims fall to 1-9.
WPI was paced by Tommy Burns (Morris Plains, NJ) who drove in five runs on the day, adding a double with two runs scored. Jack Zawacki (Pittsford, NY) collected two hits and three RBI, while Zachary Roethlein (Pomfret Center, CT) had two hits and drove in two runs. Joe DiMichele (East Longmeadow, MA) and Jonathan Lattimer (Windsor, CT) each chipped in with two RBI, while Andrew Cash (Marlboro, MA) had two hits.
Noah Pins (Holden, MA) picked up the victory on the bump for the Engineers, going five innings, allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Luke Frauton (Newton, MA) tossed three innings in relief, allowing two runs and five hits, while Damon Chase (Rye, NH) threw a scoreless ninth inning, not allowing a hit.
For NEC, Tyler Gendron (Milford, NH) finished the day 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Bryce Worth (Southington, CT) collected three hits.
Brett Patnode (Weare, NH) suffered the loss for the Pilgrims, allowing 10 earned runs on seven hits with six walks in three innings of work. He also added two hits at the plate.
WPI got off to a hot start putting up four runs in the bottom of the first inning. A pair of hit batters, plus a walk from Burns loaded the bases with one out before a Zawacki single through the right side plated two. After a groundout, Lattimer added to the lead, adding two RBI on a single to right to make it 4-0 Engineers.
New England College got one back in the top of the second inning, using three hits to make it 4-1. Singles from Lachlan Rees (Adelaide, Australia) and Worth put two on, setting up a Gendron base knock to score the Pilgrims' first run. However, WPI's Pins got the final batter to line out to end the threat.
The Engineers pushed it to an 8-1 game with four more runs in the bottom of the frame. A bases-loaded double off the bat of Cash sent two home, before Zawacki made it 7-1 with an RBI single. DiMichele accounted for the final run of the inning, with a sac fly to make it a seven-run advantage.
Three more WPI runs off of two hits make it 10-1 in the bottom of the third. A one-out walk to Brookes came around to score on an RBI groundout from Burns, before Roethlein pushed the lead to nine runs with a single to right that drove in two runs. The Engineers loaded the bases with two outs, but a final flyout ended the inning.
An RBI single from Cash in the bottom of the fourth inning made it a 12-1 game. but the Pilgrims got one back with a run in the top of the fifth, as Philibott scored on a passed ball.
WPI then added a sac fly from DiMichele in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 13-2 game.
In the top of the sixth, NEC struck for two more. A lead-off single from Worth came around to score on a two-run home run from Gendron, who made it 13-4.
WPI countered with three more in the bottom of the sixth. Jake DelMonte (Southington, CT) notched an RBI single, while Burns and Dominic Monico (Litchfield, NH) each added sac flies to push it to 16-4.
The Engineers tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the seventh without a hit. An RBI hit by pitch from Burns made it 17-4, while James DiGiovanni (Kennebunk, ME) added a sac fly to account for the last score of the game, pushing it to 18-4.
WPI has a doubleheader up next, hosting Westworth for a pair on Saturday, beginning at noon. NEC continues its road swing on Saturday, playing at MIT, also at noon.