Boston, MA --- The WPI baseball team dropped a back-and-forth non-conference contest to UMass Boston, 8-7, on Monday evening. The Engineers move to 10-11 on the season, while the Beacons improve to 11-8.
 
WPI built an early lead and rallied late to tie the game in the eighth, but UMass Boston scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to walk off with the victory.
 
Jacob Wiberg (Exeter, NH) led the Engineers at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a triple and two RBI, including the game-tying hit in the eighth inning. James DiGiovanni (Kennebunk, ME) added a key two-RBI double as part of WPI's late rally, while Jack Zawacki (Pittsford, NY) notched an RBI and two runs scored. Chuck Cappello (Southboro, MA) added a triple and a run scored, and Sascha Stoll (Boise, ID) drove in a run and reached base twice. Zachary Roethlein (Reading, MA) scored twice and drew three walks, helping spark the Engineers' offense.
 
Dominic Monico (Litchfield, NH) got the start and allowed four runs (two earned) over the first five innings, striking out three. Joseph Conti (Lincoln, RI) and Brian Riley (Portland, ME) each worked a scoreless frame in relief before Mason Walls (Pearland, TX) was tagged with the loss after allowing two unearned runs in the ninth inning.
 
UMass Boston was paced by Brandon Gaer (Rocky Hill, CT), who drove in three runs, while Max Garner (Arlington, MA) and Ryan Slack (Derby, CT) each contributed RBI. Connor Curtis (Mansfield, MA) earned the win in relief.
 
WPI jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, scoring on an RBI hit-by-pitch from Stoll and an RBI walk by DiGiovanni. The Engineers added another in the second when Pratt reached and later scored on a throwing error to make it 3-1.
 
UMass Boston answered with a run in the first on an RBI single by Gaer, then tied the game in the second and took the lead in the third on a pair of sacrifice flies.
 
WPI pulled even in the sixth when Zawacki singled to score Cappello, making it 4-4. The Beacons regained the lead in the sixth and added another in the seventh, capitalizing on defensive miscues to go up 6-4.
 
The Engineers responded in the eighth with a three-run rally. Wiberg delivered a two-RBI triple to tie the game before DiGiovanni followed with an RBI double to give WPI a 7-6 advantage.
 
UMass Boston rallied in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with one out before tying the game with an RBI groundout. With runners still in scoring position, Paden Larkins (Shelton, CT) followed by reaching on an error as a ball was lost in the infield under the lights, allowing the winning run to score and secure the 8-7 walk-off victory.
 
WPI returns to action on Wednesday with a home game against Roger Williams at the New England Baseball Complex at 3:30pm, while UMass Boston travels to UMass Dartmouth for an LEC contest on Tuesday at 3:00pm.