AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Seniors Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) and Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.) combined to go 10-for-17 with four doubles and four RBI to help pace the Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of King's (Pa.) College. The Leopards took the first game, 8-3, and won the nightcap in eight innings by a score of 9-5.
Game One: Wentworth 8, King's (Pa.) 3
The Monarchs took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning as juniors Kyle Lupas (Laflin, Pa.) and Sean Padden (Scranton, Pa.) led off with back-to-back singles. Sophomore Christian Pack (Hanover Township, Pa.) reached on a fielder's choice, which erased Lupas, however Padden and Pack would move up on a wild pitch. Junior Brad Wilkins (Easton, Pa.) delivered a sacrifice fly to score Padden and, after a walk to junior Zach Godfrey (Ocean Township, Pa.), sophomore Sean McKee (Easton, Pa.) plated them both with a triple.
Wentworth got a run back in the fourth inning as junior Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.) led off with a double and, after two ground outs, moved to third on a wild pitch. Sophomore Ross Golebiewski (Lyme, Conn.) doubled Weninger home to make it 3-1. The Leopards pulled within one an inning later when Ferri scored after Burst reached on an error. Ferri had reached on a two-out single and went to second on a wild pitch. Weninger hit a single to move Burst to second, however both were stranded there after a flyout ended the inning.
The Leopards took the lead in the sixth inning, scoring all of their runs with two outs. Sophomore Jake Smith (Orange, Conn.) led off with a walk and went to second on an infield single from Golebiewski. Freshman Owen Swanson (New Milford, Conn.) had a bunt single to load the bases, however sophomore Bryon Kucharski (East Haven, Conn.) reached on a fielder's choice which resulted in Jake Smith being out at home. Sophomore Matt Smith (Horseheads, N.Y.) squeezed home Golebiewski to tie the game and Ferri followed with a two-run double. Burst, Weninger, and Temte each drove in runs to give the Black & Gold an 8-3 lead.
Weninger allowed a leadoff single to open the seventh, however a force out and a double play ended the Monarchs' threat and gave Wentworth the win.
Ferri was 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI, while Weninger, who also picked up the win on the hill with a complete-game effort, was also 3-for-4. Temte and Golebiewski had two hits apiece.
McKee had two hits and two RBI for King's. Freshman Billy Neill (Ridley Park, Pa.) took the loss.
Game Two: Wentworth 9, King's (Pa.) 5 (eight innings)
Wentworth took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Ferri led off with a double and went to third on Burst's 100th hit of his career. After a flyout, Temte delivered a single to score Ferri.
King's tied the game in the bottom of the second as Pack had a one-out double and after a groundout moved him to third, came home on a sophomore Shawn Stone (Runnemeade, N.J.) double.
Both teams had chances to take the lead through the next three innings, including when King's had a runner at third with one out in the fifth and Burst saved a run by making a diving stop and throwing across the diamond to get the runner. A flyout ended the threat.
As had been the case in two of its previous games, Wentworth took the lead in the sixth inning. Jake Smith and Golebiewski had back-to-back singles to lead off the inning and Swanson sacrificed them over. Junior Tim Elrick (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) laid down a squeeze which scored Jake Smith and, on an errant throw, Golebiewski followed to give the Leopards a 3-1 lead.
The lead would not last for long, however, as a one-out, two-run double from Pack scored McKee and freshman Jonathan Hoyt (Endicott, N.Y.). After freshman Ryan Joyce (Avon, Mass.) came in and got a flyout, Pack moved to third on a wild pitch but was stranded there when a lineout to second ended the inning.
King's had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh, however with two outs and runners at the corners, Joyce got a popup to end the inning and send the game to extra innings.
The Leopards sent 11 batters to the plate in a six-run top of the eighth. Jake Smith led off with a single and went to second when Golebiewski was hit by a pitch. Swanson walked to load the bases and Elrick delivered an RBI single to right. Matt Smith followed with a sacrifice fly to score Jake Smith and move Golebiewski to third. Elrick stole second and went to third on a throwing error which would score Swanson and Ferri followed with a single, scoring Elrick. Burst moved Ferri to third with a double and Weninger brought them both home with a double.
King's attempted to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth as the Monarchs scored a pair of runs and left two on base. With one out, King's loaded the bases and Padden scored on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, senior Tom Gibbons (Harleysville, Pa.) delivered an RBI single, scoring Wilkins. Sophomore Mike Callagee (Emerson, N.J.) was summoned to relieve Joyce and he got a lineout to end the game.
Joyce notched his first collegiate win as he allowed two runs on five hits in 2.1 innings. Callagee picks up the save by retiring the lone batter he faces. Junior Robby Sheldon (Dover, N.H.) allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out two in 5.2 innings. At the plate, Ferri, Burst, and Temte each had three hits and Jake Smith had two hits. For Burst, he became the 20th player in program history to reach the 100-hit mark for their career.
Junior John Wickiser (Hanover Township, Pa.) took the loss for King's. Pack had three hits and two RBI.
Wentworth (4-0) next plays Gwynedd Mercy on Wednesday.
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