Northboro, MA --- The WPI baseball team rallied from an early deficit with a five-run fifth inning and added four more in the seventh to defeat regional power Eastern Connecticut State, 12-5, on Thursday afternoon at the New England Baseball Complex. The win lifs the Engineers to 14-17 on the season, while the Warriors fall to 20-11-1.
 
After falling behind 2-1 through three and half innings, WPI used a mix of timely hitting and ECSU defensive miscues to seize control, turning a one-run game into a multi-run cushion it would not relinquish.
 
Zachary Roethlein (Pomfret Center, CT) led the Engineers offensively with four hits and two runs scored, while Andrew Flamini (Shelton, CT) added three hits and drove in a run. Jacob Wiberg (Exeter, NH) recorded two hits and an RBI, and Aaron Johnson (Auburn, NY) drove in two runs, including a key two-RBI double in the seventh.
 
Robert Runge (Manasquan, NJ) earned the win in relief, allowing one run over two innings while striking out three. Luke Blandino (Eden, NY) started and allowed one run over two innings, while Andrew Burke (Walpole, MA), Daniel Lynn (Severna Park, MD), Brian Riley (Portland, ME), and Mason Walls (Pearland, TX) each turned in scoreless outings in relief.
 
Eastern Connecticut State was led by Hank Penders (Wethersfield, CT), who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Nicolas Martini (New Fairfield, CT) added two hits including a home run and drove in two. Matthew Carrera (Mount Sinai, NY) also recorded two hits and scored twice.
 
Jake Shaughnessy (Franklin, MA) took the loss, allowing eight hits and three earned runs over 4.2 innings.
 
Eastern struck first in the opening inning on an RBI single by Lucas Malave (Toms River, NJ) before WPI answered in the third when Flamini scored on a wild pitch to even the game.
 
After Eastern made it 2-1 on a Martini single in the top of the fourth, the Engineers took the lead in the bottom of the frame. Wiberg delivered an RBI double to score Roethlein and later scored on a throwing error, making it 3-2.
 
WPI broke the game open in the fifth with five runs. Zawacki doubled home a run, Johnson stole home, and the Engineers capitalized on a pair of errors to plate three additional unearned runs and extend the lead to 8-2.
 
Eastern responded with three runs in the sixth, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Penders and a solo home run from Martini to cut the deficit to 8-5.
 
WPI answered immediately in the seventh. Johnson doubled down the right-field line to drive in two runs, Flamini followed with an RBI single, and Shane McLaughlin (Brewster, NY) added an RBI knock as part of a four-run inning that pushed the lead to 12-5.
 
From there, the Crimson and Gray pitching staff shut down the ECSU offense, not allowing a hit in the final three frames.
 
Both teams return to action this weekend, as WPI travels to Springfield for a NEWMAC doubleheader on Saturday at noon, while Eastern Connecticut State hosts UMass Boston for a Little East Conference twinbill on Sunday at noon.