Myrtle Beach, SC ---The WPI baseball team used two late rallies to sweep a doubleheader against Hilbert on Friday afternoon at Ebbets Field in both teams' Myrtle Beach finales. The wins improve the Engineers to 6-3 on the season, while the Hawks fall to 5-6.

Game One

WPI used a four-run eighth inning in the opener to power past Hilbert, 6-4.

Jonathan Lattimer (Windsor, CT) led the Engineers, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Spencer Merrick (Abington, MA) delivered a clutch two-run single in the eighth, while Gavin George (Salem, NH) added an RBI single. Andrew Cash (Marlboro, MA) contributed an RBI groundout, and Tommy Burns (Morris Plains, NJ) scored twice.

Michael Domino (Marlboro, MA) earned the win with two scoreless innings in relief, allowing no hits and striking out one. Eric DePiero (Beverly, MA) picked up the save with a shutout ninth. Starter D.C. Brown (Plymouth, MA) went five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with five strikeouts.

Hilbert was paced offensively by Jack Duffek (Orchard Park, NY), who recorded three hits, while Joey Haynes (Wheatfield, NY) and Nolan Evans (East Amherst, NY) each drove in a run. Evans was effective across seven innings, allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out nine. Matthew Whelan (Buffalo, NY) took the loss after surrendering four runs (three earned) in the eighth.

WPI struck first in the opening inning when Lattimer singled through the left side, bringing home Burns for an early 1-0 lead.

Hilbert took advantage of a WPI defensive miscue in the fifth, as Evans reached on an error to score John Watson (Alden, NY). Moments later, Dustin Hendrix (Lakewood, NY) lifted a sacrifice fly to center, giving the Hawks a 2-1 advantage.

The Engineers responded in the bottom of the fifth when Cash grounded out to second, allowing Burns to cross the plate and even the score at 2-2.

Hilbert regained control in the sixth as Haynes grounded out to shortstop to drive in Garrett Brink (Jamestown, NY), and a wild pitch allowed Brink to score, putting the Hawks ahead 4-2.

Down to their final two innings, WPI's bats came alive in the eighth. George drove in Cash with an RBI single, trimming the deficit to 4-3. Merrick then lined a two-run single to left, scoring Miles Pratt (Hampton, NH) and Lattimer to give WPI its first lead since the first inning. A throwing error on a grounder by James DiGiovanni (Kennebunk, ME) allowed Merrick to come home for an insurance run, making it 6-4.

DePiero entered in the ninth and worked around a leadoff single, securing the win with a game-ending groundout.

Game Two

WPI's offense erupted for 16 hits, but the Engineers needed a late rally to seal the 10-6 win.

The Engineers were led by Chuck Cappello (Southboro, MA), who went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and a double. Matt Shea (Andover, MA) added three hits, an RBI, and two runs, while Pratt contributed two hits, an RBI, and two runs scored. Burns chipped in with three hits and an RBI.

On the mound, Jacob Wiberg (Exeter, NH) started for WPI, pitching 4.2 innings while allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits with three strikeouts. Dominic Monico (Litchfield, NH) earned the win in relief, throwing two innings and allowing one unearned run on one hit with two strikeouts.

For Hilbert, Duffek and Hendrix each scored twice, while Watson drove in two runs. Spencer Harford (Silver Creek, NY) started and pitched five innings, surrendering six runs (five earned) on 11 hits. Reliever Johnray Hasfurter (West Seneca, NY) took the loss after giving up WPI's four-run eighth-inning surge.

WPI struck first in the opening frame when Cash lifted a sacrifice fly to score Shea.

The Engineers extended their lead in the second with three more runs. Cappello doubled to bring home Matt Robison (Wrentham, MA), and Pratt followed with an RBI single. A Shea RBI single capped the inning, putting WPI ahead 4-0.

Hilbert responded in the bottom of the second, capitalizing on WPI's defensive miscues. Hendrix stole third and came home on a throwing error, and Watson delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-2.

Cappello added another RBI single in the third to extend WPI's lead to 5-2, but Hilbert continued to battle back. In the fourth, Brink grounded out to first, allowing Harley Hoag (Salamanca, NY) to score and make it 5-3.

After WPI tacked on a run in the fifth on another Cappello RBI single, Hilbert mounted a rally in the bottom half. Hoag walked with the bases loaded, forcing in a run, and Watson worked a bases-loaded walk as well, making it a one-run game at 6-5.

The Hawks tied the game in the seventh when Hoag reached on a throwing error, allowing Duffek to score an unearned run.

With the game deadlocked at 6-6, WPI's offense came alive in the eighth. Burns broke the tie with an RBI single, bringing home Robison. Moments later, Luke Frauton (Medway, MA) worked a bases-loaded walk to plate Pratt. Dan Brown (Plymouth, MA) then delivered the knockout blow, lining a two-run single through the right side to push the lead to 10-6.

Monico and Gage Nagy (Monroe, WA) shut the door over the final two innings, securing the win and the sweep.

WPI returns home to host Roger Williams at the New England Baseball Complex on Tuesday, March 18, at 3:30pm. Hilbert continues its road trip with a doubleheader at Alfred on March 19, beginning at noon.