WORCESTER -- Charlie Pavis (Bethlehem, PA), Mason Medina (Orlando, FL), Mason Basara (Bethlehem, PA), Theo Sawyers (Boston, MA) and Joe Bernard (Stratham, NH) all won twice to propel as the WPI wrestling team swept Plymouth State and Rhode Island College in the Engineers 2025-26 debut Saturday evening in the WPI Sports and Recreation.
 
The Engineers defeated the Panthers 43-3 in the opener before rallying to edge the Anchormen 23-22 in the night cap.  RIC knocked off Plymouth State 48-8 in Saturday's middle match. 
 
In the opener with Plymouth State, the Crimson and Gray raced out to a 19-0 advantage by capturing the opening five bouts and then closed the contest with four straight six-point victories.  Ezekiel Kasen (Brookline, MA) began the day by reversing a 4-1 deficit into a 8-5 triumph at 125 pounds.  Consecutive third period tech falls from Pavis at 133 (23-6 at 5:57) and Medina at 141 (20-4 at 5:19) built separation from the Panthers and were followed by a 15-8 victory at 157 by Basara and a 14-8 decision for Lucas Marchese (Branchburg, NJ) to build the 19-0 edge midway through.
 
Plymouth State's Chase Anestis (Belmont, NH) broke the run of the Engineers with a solid 7-1 win at 165 pounds before the hosts rattled off 24 points to close out the matchup. Michael McNulty (Manasquan, NJ) bumped up to 184 and pinned his foe at 1:47 while heavyweight Trevor Bowen (Frenchtown, NJ) did the same in 10 less seconds, recording a fall at 285 at 1:37.  The Engineers also saw Sawyers and Bernard awarded forfeits at 174 and 197 pounds respectively. 

Rhode Island College carried momentum over from its win over Plymouth State into the final match of the tri-match with WPI with Domenic Sousa (Smithfield, RI) opening up at 125 pounds with a second period tech fall (18-3 at 4:24).   The hosts then cobbled together three straight wins, with victory by decisions from Pavis at 133 (7-1) and Basara at 149 (4-2) sandwiched around a 14-5 major decision by Medina at 141 to surge ahead 10-5.
 
The two teams then went on the see-saw.  The Anchormen retook the lead with a Will Hunt (Providence, RI) second period pin at 3:43 only to see the Engineers answer back when Joey Baisley (Charlotte, NC) made an early takedown in his bout at 165 hold up for a 4-2 triumph.  Now trailing 13-11, RIC turned to regionally-ranked Aidan Faria (Cumberland, RI) at 174 and the fifth-ranked fifth year answered with a first period tech fall (18-1 at 2:01).
 
The alternating victories and lead changes continued at 184 pounds when WPI's Sawyers got the home crowds roaring with a pin at 3:25 to give the Engineers a 19-16 advantage with just two bouts remaining.   It looked like the trend would continue when Bernard found himself down 3-0 after an early fall, but the seventh-ranked 197-pounder rallied to take the lead in the second period and added enough to it in the third period to claim a 13-3 major decision to secure the team victory for the Crimson and Gray.   Imanol Taveras (Providence, RI) closed out the night with a first period pin 35 seconds into the heavyweight bout, to make the final margin, just one, 23-22.
 
WPI is back in action again at home next Saturday hosting Norwich, Roger Williams, Emmanuel and St. John Fisher.  The Super Quad, with action on three mats, is slated to begin at noon.  Both Plymouth State and Rhode Island College head to Springfield next Saturday for the Doug Parker Classic.

WPI 43, Plymouth State 3

Rhode Island College 48, Plymouth State 8

WPI 23, Rhode Island College 22