Bristol, RI --- WPI and #23 Roger Williams played to a 9-9 tie in non-conference baseball action on Thursday at Paolino Field. The result set the Engineers' season mark to 16-11-1, while the Hawks moved to 18-6-1. WPI takes the season series 1-0-1 with the tie after defeating the Hawks 18-16 last month at home at the New England Baseball Complex.
Today's game marks only the second tie in WPI program history since 2000. On April 11, 2008, the Engineers and Westfield State battled to an 8-8 result, with the game called after 10 innings due to darkness.
Andrew Cash (Marlboro, MA) led the Engineers with three hits, all doubles, three runs, and a pair of RBI. Zachary Roethlein (Pomfret Center, CT) finished with three hits, including a home run, driving in two. James DiGiovanni (Kennebunk, ME) had two hits and two RBI, while Tommy Burns (Morris Plains, NJ) had two hits, including a home run. Ethan Smith (Hanson, MA) got the start for the Engineers, going five innings, allowing one earned run with six strikeouts.
For Roger Williams, Ty Cali (Taunton, MA) had three hits and an RBI, while Nick Sheehan (Medway, MA) and Owen Hibbard (Roxbury, CT) each drove in two runs on one hit. Aidan Hawley (Natick, MA) finished with two hits and an RBI, while Sam Weigel (Brookfield, CT) also drove in a run.
Roethlin and Cash started the scoring for WPI in the top if the first inning. A one-out double from Cash set up a two-out, two-run blast from Roethlein to make it 2-0 Engineers.
In the top of the second, Gavin George (Salem, NH) and Jack Zawacki (Pittsford, NY) hit back-to-back singles with one out, with a DiGiovanni single plating the third WPI run of the game.
Another home run, this time a solo shot from Burns in the top of the third, made it 4-0 in the top of the fourth.
Roger Williams got on the board with four in the bottom of the fifth inning, cutting the score to 5-4. A throwing error, a walk, and an infield single loaded the bases, before a hit batter drove in the first run. After a strikeout, the Hawks got their second run of the frame on a passed ball, while a Sheehan double to left followed to make it a one-run game.
WPI countered with three in the top of the sixth. Singles from DiGiovanni and Hand set up another Cash double that scored two. A throwing error then allowed Cash to score to make it 8-4.
The Hawks answered in the bottom of the frame with three of their own to cut it to 8-7. Hawley singled in a run with one out, while a wild pitch plated another. Hibbard accounted for the third RWU run with a double to left to again close the gap to one run.
The Engineers added an insurance run in the top of the eighth to go up 9-7. Cash led off with a double, while a Burns single put the ball in play with Cash scoring on a throwing error. WPI loaded the bases in the frame, but Roger Williams' Brett Lauterbach (Fairfield, CT) got the final two batters by strikeout to end the threat.
In the bottom of the eighth, the hosts again closed the gap. A Cali single and back-to-back hit batters loaded the bases. After a strikeout, Weigel got one deep enough to score Cali to make it 9-8.
Roger Williams forced extra innings with a run in the bottom of the ninth. Rory Lynch (Easton, CT) was hit to open the inning and a Hawley single through the right side sent the tying run to third. Cali then tied the game with a sac fly before WPI catcher, Matt Shea (Andover, MA), threw out a runner to end the ninth.
Rain ended the game shortly after the ninth inning, as the teams settled on a 9-9 tie.
WPI is back in action on Saturday at noon, hosting Babson for a Senior Day twin bill at Worcester State. Roger Williams will host Hartford on Saturday in a doubleheader, also beginning at noon.