Northboro, MA --- Another game, another walk-off for the WPI baseball team, who upended Emerson 11-10 on Tuesday night as Andrew Cash (Marlboro, MA) drove in the game-tying and game-winning runs with a two-out single to centerfield as the Engineers walked away with their first NEWMAC victory of the season and third walk-off win in 2022.
With the win, WPI improves to 11-8 overall and 1-2 in conference action while the Lions slip to 8-9 on the season and 2-1 in NEWMAC play.
Joe Salvon (Longmeadow, MA) started the inning off getting hit by a pitch and in the next at bat advanced to second after a failed pickoff attempt. Gavin George (Salem, NH) stepped in to pinch hit, and singled to center to put runners on first and third with one out as Nicholas Battaglino (Marlboro, MA) stepped in to pinch run for George.
George's hit was followed by a single to left field by DJ Brooks (Danvers, MA) that scored Salvon. After a groundout to first from Andrew Brooks (Millis, MA), Battaglin and DJ Brooks advanced to second and third to set up Cash's game-winning hit as Battaglino recorded the game-tying run, and Brooks came across for the game winner.
Cash was 2-for-6 on the day, with the game-winning hit, while Kyle Johns (Milltown, NJ) finished 3-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored, and Jacob Hand (Niskayuna, NY) was 2-for-4 with a double and a homerun netting three RBIs and two runs scored. Brooks also accounted for three hits on the day, driving in two and scoring a run.
Once again, Noah Pins (Holden, MA) came away with the victory, pitching the final three innings of action, allowing just one unearned run and one hit while striking out three and keeping the Engineers within striking distance for the victory. The win was Pins' third of the season. Owen Radcliffe (Holliston, MA) got the start on the bump pitching the first four innings, giving up five earned runs on seven hits, while Ryan Malkowski (Hubbardston, MA) threw the middle two innings allowing one earned run off of four hits.
Leadoff hitter Quinton Copeland (Houston, TX) was 2-for-5 on the day for Emerson, collecting a double, driving in two runs and scoring one of his own. Jake Okamoto (Placentia, CA) was 2-for-3 on the afternoon, driving in three runs and scoring another pair. Ty Bourne (Tappan, NY) picked up the loss for the Lions on the day.
Emerson put four on the board in the second inning thanks to two straight hits by the Lions and a WPI error, but Hand responded blasting a solo shot to open the bottom half of the frame. In the third, the Engineers evened the score as a Hand double to left field scored two while a Salvon double through the right side brought home Hand to make it a 4-4 ballgame.
Emerson added a pair in the fourth, while WPI was able to once again even things out in the fifth inning behind an RBI double from Michael Fraser (Mashpee, MA) and an RBI single from DJ Brooks.
A double from Copeland with a two-base error brought home three in the sixth inning, giving Emerson a 9-6 lead. WPI got one back in the seventh, but Emerson made it a 10-7 ball game in the eighth. A triple to left field from Johns brought home a run in the bottom of the eighth, setting up the Engineers for victory in the final half inning of action.
WPI will look to keep the momentum going with a doubleheader against Babson on Saturday, April 9 beginning at 12 pm. The games will take place at Assumption. Emerson will try and bounce back at Curry on Thursday, April 7 at 3pm.