Northboro, MA --- A 10-run third inning sparked visiting Clark to a 16-3 win over WPI in Tuesday night NEWMAC baseball action on Senior Day at the New England Baseball Complex. The Engineers move to 19-13-1 on the season, 7-7 in conference play, while the Cougars improve to 20-15 overall, 5-9 in the NEWMAC.
The result locks WPI into the five seed in the upcoming NEWMAC tournament. After the conclusion of the regular season, the Engineers will head to #4 Wheaton to take on the Lyons in a play-in game.
WPI's offense collected 10 hits by 10 different players but pushed just three runs across. DJ Brooks (Danvers, MA), Tommy Burns (Morris Plains, NJ), and Jack Zawacki (Pittsford, NY) all had one hit and one RBI, while Andrew Cash (Marlboro, MA) had a triple and a pair of walks. Noah Pins (Holden, MA) suffered the loss for WPI, going 2.1 innings allowing eight runs on six hits with six walks.
Brayden Hollinrake (Goffstown, NH) drove in five runs on three hits including a home run. Ryan Caulfield (Simsbury, CT) had three hits with two RBI, while Carter Doran (Natick, MA), Dom Mariani (Walpole, MA), Michael Soares (Concord, MA), and Michael Salzillo (Johnstown, RI) each drove in two runs. Maxwell Gitlin (Manhattan Beach, CA) got the win, throwing three innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.
Clark dented the scoreboard with a pair in the top of the first inning. Hollinrake singled in the first run, while Salzillo recorded a sac fly to make it 2-0.
WPI answered with solo runs in the bottom of the first and second to tie the game at 2-2. Burns drove in the first run on a single up the middle, while Brooks got one through the right side to tie things up.
In the third, the Cougars broke through for 10 runs, collecting seven hits in the frame. Hollinrake started the scoring with a single to right before Salzillo drove in a run on a fielder's choice and then scored on a wild pitch. Caulfield belted a two-run double to left center for two, while Mariani added two on a single through the right side. Soares plated the eighth run of the frame on a double to left center before Hollinrake raked a home run to left to make it 12-2 Cougars.
Clark padded the lead with four in the top of the fourth to push it to 16-2. Doran got two on a double down the left field line before a Scores single and a Hollinrake fielder's choice put the visitors up 14.
WPI got one back in the bottom of the sixth as Zawacki singled through the left side. However, that was the last WPI hit of the game, as Clark finished out the 16-3 victory.
WPI has a non-conference game on Thursday at 5pm, playing at Tufts. Clark closes the regular season with two against MIT on Saturday at home at noon. The Cougars will need to sweep MIT in order to claim the sixth and final seed in next week's NEWMAC Tournament.