WORCESTER -- With a series split, thanks to an exciting walk-off victory for the WPI Softball team, the Engineers handed No. 25 MIT its first loss of the NEWMAC season on Friday evening.  

WPI improved to 10-14 on the season and remains at .500 in conference play with a 4-4 record while MIT drops to 20-3 and earns its first loss of the conference season sitting at 7-1.  

Sophia Togneri (Hudson, MA), who pitched the entirety of game one and fell just shy of the win despite a seven inning, 10-hit outing where she sat down three by way of the K, picked up her first conference victory of the year coming into the game in relief in game two, pitching the final inning of action and earning the thrilling victory.  

Lindsay Ambrosino (Chelmsford, MA) finished the day 5-for-6 with one RBI and four runs scored to lead the Engineers.  

GAME ONE 

MIT kept its NEWMAC win-streak going, remaining undefeated in conference action with a 4-2 game one victory. Ambrosino finished game one with a 3-for-3 outing having a part of both WPI runs on the day, scoring one and driving in the other.  

MIT got one on the board in the top of the first and added another run in the third inning to garner a 2-0 lead before the western-most Engineers were able to strike. 

WPI netted both of its runs in the fifth inning. Liz Jordan (Yardley, PA) started the inning off with a bunt single, moving over to second after a sacrifice bunt from Sydney Russell (Arlington, VA). Just one batter later she came home thanks to an Ambrosino triple down the right field line to put the team's first run on the board.  

Gabi Cerbo (Middletown, NJ) pinched hit for and ripped a single to left that drove in Ambrosino to even the score at two apiece. The Engineers were able to load the bases in the fifth but could not push another run across.  

MIT struck again in the top of the seventh, regaining the lead thanks to some small ball putting a pair of runs on the board, the deciding factor in the 4-2 loss for WPI.  

GAME TWO 

WPI tallied a run in each of its first three innings, MIT used a three-run fifth inning to gain an advantage but the WPI Engineers responded with a walk-off victory, its first of the season, en route to a 6-5 win, and series split.  

With runners on second and third and two outs, Cerbo stepped into action in a pinch hitting role and once again came up big. As she ripped a shot to right field, Alicia Salvalzo (Hudson, NH) and Ambrosino were off and running on contact, Cerbo hustled down the line forcing a fast throw from the rightfielder to first base.  

Cerbo was initially called out by the base umpire, but after WPI asked to check with the umpire behind the plate, the home plate umpire confirmed that the MIT first baseman was pulled off the bag, Cerbo was indeed safe and Ambrosino and Salvalzo, who came around to score on the play netted the game-tying and the game-winning runs en route to the WPI victory.  

The game-winner was set up thanks to a sacrifice fly by Jocelyn Diaz (Reedley, CA) who brought WPI within a run, 5-4 a batter earlier.  

Diaz helped get the first run of the game on the board in the first inning reaching via a fielder's choice to bring home Ambrosino. In the second inning, Emma Nagy (Monroe, WA) sent a solo shot out, and after MIT got one back in the third, Salvalzo singled to left field in the third inning to drive home Ambrosino once again to build up a 3-1 lead.  

MIT added their three runs in the fifth to gain a 4-3 lead and put one more run on the board in the sixth inning to bolster its lead to 5-3. But WPI never gave up en route to the comeback victory.  

UP NEXT

Both teams return to action tomorrow on Saturday, April 15. WPI will face off at Emerson for two games beginning at 1:30pm while MIT continues their western road trip heading to Springfield College for a Noon doubleheader.