WALTHAM, Mass. – The top three batters in the lineup for visiting Wentworth Institute of Technology went 8-for-13 with, two doubles, six RBI and seven runs scored to lead the Leopard baseball squad past Brandeis, 11-5, on Stein Diamond today. Wentworth improves to 7-4 with the win, while the Judges fall to 3-9.
After a relatively quiet first two innings, both teams struck for four runs in the third. Wentworth opened the scoring on an RBI single by sophomore SS Conner Flisnik (Lynn, Mass./St. Mary's). They added two more on a two-run single to left by junior LF Ryan Delgado (Concord, N.H./Concord) and upped the lead to 4-0 on a single by sophomore DH Jeff Crawford (Marcy, N.Y./Whitesboro).
The Judges bounced back in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore SS Sean O'Hare (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire Regional) cut the lead in half with a two-run home run. It was his first of the season and the third of his career. Rookie LF Chris Ferro (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) plated a run with an infield single and a two-bagger by senior 2B John O'Brion (Portland, Maine/Portland) tied the score at 4-4.
The Leopards reclaimed the lead in the third on back-to-back doubles by senior CF Matt Jordan (Concord, N.H/Concord) and Flisnik, but O'Brion plated senior 1B Drake Livada (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) in the bottom of the fifth to even the game at 5-all.
The decisive half-inning was the top of the sixth, when Wentworth struck for four runs against three Brandeis pitchers on just three hits. After Brandeis junior starter John McGrath (New York, N.Y./Trevor Day) hit a batter to start the inning, senior Drew Brzozowski (Concord, Mass./Concord-Carlisle) came in from the bullpen. All three batters he faced reached base, including an RBI single to third base by Flisnik and a run-scoring single through the hole by senior catcher Pete Oggeri (Sandy Hook, Conn./Newtown). Brandeis sophomore Alex Tynan (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat) came on retired the first batter he faced, on fly ball to center that moved Flisnik to third, and Delgado followed with a successful squeeze play. Tynan loaded the bases on a hit batter and a walk, allowing senior 2B Anthony Carbone (Goshen, Conn./Wamogo Regional) to plate WIT's fourth run of the inning and take a 9-5 lead. The Leopards added two more runs on a Jordan single in the eight to close out the scoring, 11-5.
Offensively, the top of the Wentworth order starred. Jordan was 2-for-4, walking once and getting hit by a pitch, with a double, two RBI and three runs scored out of the leadoff hole. Batting second, Flisnik was 3-for-6 with three RBI, two runs scored and a double, while Oggeri reached base in all six of his plate appearances in the three-hole, going 3-for-3 with two walks and a hit-by-pitch, driving in one and scoring twice.
Brandeis had five different players record two hits each, with O'Hare (2-5, HR, 2 RBI, R) and O'Brion (2-5, 2B, 2 RBI) leading the way.
Senior Chris Carbone (Goshen, Conn./Wamogo Regional) earned the win for the visitors, tossing three innings of four-hit relief. He struck out one and hit two batters, but did not walk anyone. McGrath suffered the loss, giving up eight hits and six earned runs in five innings. He fanned one, walked three and hit four opposing batters.
Brandeis travels to Salve Regina tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m., while Wentworth returns to Stein Diamond tomorrow to take on Lasell College at 7 p.m.
(Image courtesy Sportspix)