WORCESTER, Mass. (courtesy WPI sports information) --- Host WPI received good pitching and its offense struck early in both games, as the Engineers swept a doubleheader from visiting Brandeis in non-conference baseball doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. WPI registered a 10-3 victory in the opener before posting a 10-1 win in game two. With the wins, the Engineers improved their record to 17-5 on the season, while the Judges fell to 8-16.
Brandeis plated an unearned run in the top of the first in game one before WPI tied the game in the bottom half. DH Mike Swanton (Foxboro, Mass.) laced an RBI double, scoring Bryan Watkins (Belmont, Mass.) to knot the score at 1-1. WPI added a run in the second on an RBI groundout from Cody McGregor (Westfield, Mass.) to take a 2-1 edge. Brandeis came back to tie the game in the third, as James Likis (Cambridge, Mass./Cambridge Rindge and Latin), Jon Chu (Hollis Hills, N.Y./Bronx H.S. of Science) and Chris Ferro (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) each singled to produce the Judges' second run.
WPI then exploded for seven runs over the next two innings to take charge. After a Mark Dignum(Albany, N.Y.) RBI groundout in the third, right fielder Mitch McClune (Pembroke, Mass.) launched a two-run blast over the center field fence to give the hosts a 5-2 advantage. The home run was McClune's first of the season.
In the fourth, Watkins and Nick Bean (Middleboro, Mass.) opened the frame with back-to-back singles before Swanton's two-run double gave WPI a 7-2 lead. Later in the inning, Paul Galligan's (Weymouth, Mass.) base hit plated Swanton and McClune doubled to chase Galligan home, as WPI closed the inning with a 9-2 lead.
After Brandeis scored its third run in the top of the fifth on a Ferro RBI groundout, Watkins produced a RBI single in the bottom of the inning to give WPI the final 10-3 margin.
Ryan Marques (Gloucester, Mass.) pitched
solidly for WPI, tossing five innings and allowing just one earned
run on three hits. Marques (5-1) struck out two and didn't walk a
batter. Senior classmate Jason Forte
(Carlisle, Mass.) tossed two scoreless innings to secure the
victory.
Brandeis failed to retire Watkins and Swanton in game one, who
paced the WPI attack. Watkins was 4-for-4 with two runs scored and
one batted in, while Swanton had a 3-for-3 game with two runs and
three RBI.
Third baseman Tony Deshler (Pepperell, Mass./Lawrence Acad.) had a hit and two runs for the Judges, while Ferro drove in a pair for the visitors.
In game two, the Engineers used a six-run first to take control. Watkins started the rally with his fifth straight hit, Bean added a double and Galligan a single to set up the hosts. After Bean scored on an error, McClune smacked an RBI single to center for a 2-0 lead. McGregor then delivered the big hit, a bases-loaded, bases-clearing triple into the right field corner that extended the Engineer lead to 5-0. CatcherKyle Bartosik (Midland Park, N.J.) singled through the right side to send McGregor home with the sixth WPI run.
WPI added four more in the fourth, as Bean, Swanton and Jameson Kokolis (Manchester, N.H.) each singled to open the inning. With the bases loaded again, new third baseman John Flynn (Albion, Maine) lined a two-run single down the right field line for an 8-0 WPI lead. Dignum reached on a fielder's choice that drove home the ninth run, then a McGregor sac fly pushed the lead to 10-0.
Brandeis plated its only run in the top of the seventh, as senior catcher Artie Posch (Hopedale, Mass./Hopedale) worked a leadoff walk and first baseman Eric Rosenberg (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) singled to left before a Joe Galli (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield Memorial) RBI hit scored Posch to make the score 10-1.
WPI starter Alex Julian (Sterling, Mass.) threw five shutout innings to earn his third win (3-0). Julian surrendered two hits and didn't walk a batter. McGregor was the hitting star in game two, going 3-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI. Bartosik had a 3-for-3 day, while McClune, Bean and Watkins each had two hits for the victors.
Rosenberg had two hits (2-for-3) for Brandeis in defeat, while Galli, Ferro and Deshler each added a base hit for the Judges.
After an off day on Monday, Baseball will be back in action with a home contest against NEWMAC-rival Coast Guard on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30pm. Brandeis will head home for an off day before returning to Worcester to face Worcester State on Tuesday at 3:30pm.