PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Johnson & Wales baseball squad posted a 7-3 victory against Wentworth in a non-conference game at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics complex on Wednesday afternoon.

Wentworth struck first when senior Jon Spitz (Hanover, Mass.) led off the game with a single and came around to score on an RBI single by junior Jake Mailman (Medway, Mass.). The visiting Leopards increased their lead to 2-0 in the top of the second on an RBI single by junior Anthony Matera (Trumbull, Conn.).

Johnson & Wales cut into the lead in the bottom of the third when senior Jack Hocking Hanover, Mass.) led off with a single and scored on an RBI triple to right from senior Alex Pezzuto (Hastings, N.Y.). Pezzuto then scored on a single to right from senior Jake Dickerson (Garnet Valley, Pa.) to knot the game at 2-2. The Wildcats capitalized on a pair of miscues in the bottom of the fourth to grab the 3-2 advantage and added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth with a pair of hits, including an RBI double by junior Kory Ferullo (Rochester, N.H.) for the 5-2 lead.

The Leopards cut into the lead in the top of the sixth when an RBI double by Mailman made the score 5-3. JWU responded in the bottom of the frame when a two run double by freshman Lou Umberto (Cranston, R.I.) pushed the Wildcats lead to 7-3, the game's final score.

Hocking went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored for JWU while Pezzuto and Dickerson each had two hits on the day for the Wildcats. Mailman and junior Scott Ouellette (Lewiston, Maine) each had three hits for Wentworth in the setback.

Junior Rob West (East Windsor, Conn.) picked up his fourth win of the season, allowing three runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts in the complete-game victory. Freshman Zack Bernier (North Dartmouth, Mass.) suffered the loss for Wentworth, giving up seven runs on 10 hits in five and a third innings of work.

With the victory JWU is now 15-4 on the year while Wentworth falls to 7-9 on the season. JWU is back in action on Thursday April 3rd at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex when they will host Fitchburg in a non-conference contest at 4:00 p.m. Wentworth resumes Commonwealth Coast Conference play on Saturday at Curry.

(Recap courtesy of Johnson & Wales Sports Information)