WPI 10, Fitchburg State 9
Box Score
Fitchburg, MA --- Freshman pitcher Mike
Swanton (Foxboro, MA) fired 5.1 innings of six-hit, two
run relief as Worcester Polytechnic Institute overcame an early
deficit to defeat Fitchburg State College 10-9 Friday afternoon in
non-conference action.
The Engineers (5-9) were down 7-3 in the fourth, before turning
to Swanton, who took over in the middle of the fourth inning for
starter Alex Hansen (Burlington, CT). Swanson finished the day with
three strikeouts and one walk over his 5.1 innings of relief.
Hansen allowed seven runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings of work.
WPI grabbed a 2-0 lead after one inning on a towering two-run
home run by senior Dan Mahoney (Troy, NY).
Fitchburg (6-7) retaliated with a pair of runs in the second frame,
a single run in the third and took a 7-3 cushion in fourth after
plating four runs, highlighted by a two-run single by Shawn
Kinney (Bennington, VT).
The score remained 7-3 until the bottom of the sixth inning when
WPI batted around, plating five runs on three hits. Junior
Ryan Rainone (Oakville, CT) delivered a two-out,
two-run single up the middle to cap the rally that gave the
Engineers an 8-7 lead. FSC reliever Corey Donovan
(Lowell, MA) entered the game after the hit to record the final out
with a strikeout.
Fitchburg retaliated with a run in the seventh when
Andrew Kiewlicz (Walpole, MA) drove in Curt Heher
(Trumble, CT) with a sacrifice fly. Heher went 3-for-5 with an RBI
and a run scored, while Kiewlicz was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI.
WPI took the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning on a
two-run single by Ethan Brown (Lunenburg, MA) that plated
Cody McGregor (Westfield, MA) and Scott
McNee (Falmouth, MA), who walked and singled respectively.
Brown was 3-for-3 in the game.
The Falcons did not go quietly, however, and mounted a rally in
the top of the eighth that began with back-to-back doubles to cut
the lead to 10-9. Matt Slattery (Gardner, MA)
doubled to left centerfield and came home on senior Jim
Abreu's (Mansfield, MA) double to the other gap. Swanton
settled down got out of the inning despite an error and a lined
shot off the bat of Neil Gendron (Salem, MA) that
was snared by McNee at third base with runners at the corners.
FSC starter Tommy Motta (Freetown, MA) hurled
five innings of six-hit ball. He allowed three runs while fanning
three and waling one. Donovan was saddled with the loss, working
1.1 innings of two-hit, two-run relief while Brian
Lawlor (Medford, MA) worked a perfect eighth inning,
striking out a pair of hitters in the middle of the WPI order.
The Falcons will host a doubleheader Saturday (12:00 pm) versus
Framingham State while WPI will play a pair of games at Clark
University Saturday (4:00 pm).
Information courtesy of Fitchburg State Sports Information
office
