Northboro, MA --- The WPI baseball team rallied twice to tie the game, but a three-run eighth inning sent visiting Suffolk past the Engineers on Wednesday afternoon at the New England Baseball Complex. WPI falls to 10-4 overall on the season, while the Rams improve to 9-4.
For WPI, Andrew Cash (Marlboro, MA) finished with four hits and three RBI, including launching his fourth home run of the season. Jack Zawacki (Pittsford, NY) drove in two runs on two hits, while Tommy Burns (Morris Plains, NJ) tallied four hits with an RBI and three doubles. Jacob Hand (Niskayuna, NY) and Nicholas Battaglino (Marlboro, MA) added two hits and one RBI each.
Eric DePiero (Beverly, MA) suffered the loss for WPI, going two innings, allowing three runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts. John McDevitt (Auburn, NH) earned the victory for Suffolk, going 3.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts. Patrick Desmond (Hampton, NH) got a two-inning save for the Rams, allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts.
Offensively for Suffolk, Jonny Gilbride (Beverly, MA) drove in four runs on a double and a home run, while Alex Sorenti-Burns (Sagamore Beach, MA) had a pair of solo homers. Garret Roberts (Stratham, NH) recorded four hits and two RBI, collecting three doubles and Joe Norris (Plymouth, MA) had three RBI with a home run. Colin Flynn (Dorchester, MA) and Harry Painter (Essex, MA) also drove in runs for the Rams.
Suffolk jumped out to a 6-0 advantage, scoring two in the first, three in the second, and one in the fourth. In the first, a Gilbride double scored on a Roberts sac fly, while Painter later made it 2-0 by scoring on a wild pitch.
In the top of the second, the Rams added three more runs on three hits to go up 5-0. Gilbride got the scoring started with a sacrifice fly, while Roberts added a double to drive in another run. An RBI single from Painter made it a five-run advantage.
Suffolk then pushed it to 6-0 with an RBI groundout from Gilbride in the top of the fourth.
WPI finally broke through in the bottom of the inning, putting up a 10-spot backed by 10 hits. Zawacki and Burns each tallied doubles in the frame with Zawacki picking up two RBI and Burns adding one. James DiGiovanni (Kennebunk, ME), DJ Brooks (Danvers, MA), Hand, Cash, and Zachary Roethlein (Pomfret Center, CT) all added RBI singles in the frame.
The Rams responded with six in their next at-bat, taking a 12-10 lead. Sorenti-Burns started the comeback with a solo homer, while Norris added a sacrifice fly. Flynn singled through the right side before a two-run home run from Gilbride put the Rams up 11-10. Roberts then scored on a passed ball to make it 12-10 Suffolk.
WPI tied the game with two in the bottom of the seventh, as Cash launched a two-run shot to left center, his third home run in the last two games.
Suffolk used the long ball to regain the lead in the top of the eighth inning. Sorenti-Burns hit a solo bomb to left, while Norris added a two-run shot to right center to put the Rams up 15-12.
WPI got one back in the bottom of the eighth, as a Zawacki lead-off single came around to score on a Battaglino base hit through the right side to make it 15-13.
After a scoreless top of the ninth for Suffolk, Desmond got the first two Engineers' batters to strikeout, but a Burns double and a Roethlein walk put the winning run at the plate. However, a fly-out to right ended the rally and the game, giving the Rams the victory.
WPI is off until Sunday when the Engineers travel to Johnson & Wales for a doubleheader beginning at 1pm. Suffolk plays again on Friday at Nichols with two games starting at 1pm.
