Baseball Picks up Split with WPI; Kelley Earns First Head Coaching Win

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Four different student-athletes recorded a base hit, including senior Brandon Sullivan (Quincy, Mass.) who hit a home run, as the Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team defeated WPI, 5-1, in the nightcap of a non-conference doubleheader. The Leopards earned the split after falling, 4-2, in the opener.

With the win the Leopards pick up their first win of the season and earned the first win for first-year head coach Justin Kelley.

GAME ONE:  WPI 4, Wentworth 2

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• WPI took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single and had runners on first and third with no outs. Sullivan got a strikeout and junior A.T. DiPina (Pawtucket, R.I.) threw out the lead runner for a pickoff. The Engineers subsequently loaded the bases, however, Sullivan got an inning-ending strikeout.
• Wentworth took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first as freshman Matthew Favazzo (Lexington, Mass.) and junior Christian Peruzzi (Plymouth, Mass.) recorded back-t0-back singles before DiPina singled in Favazzo. Peruzzi scored on a wild pitch, which gave the Black & Gold the lead.
• The fourth inning saw WPI take a 3-2 lead, thanks to a wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk. Two innings later, the Engineers scored on a sacrifice fly, increasing their lead to 4-2. Wentworth threatened in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with one out, however, a double play ended the inning.
• Down to their final at bat, Wentworth got a leadoff single from junior Matt Rice (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and a single from graduate student Nolan McManus (Milton, Mass.). Freshman Mike Sibert (Billerica, Mass.) was hit by a pitch, however, the Leopards were unable to score any runs.
• Sullivan took the loss (0-1), allowing three runs on four hits and striking out six in 3.2 innings of work. Offensively, Rice was 3-for-4, while Favazzo and Peruzzi had two hits apiece. Freshman Alec Peruzzi (Plymouth, Mass.) pitched two innings, striking out three.

GAME TWO:  Wentworth 5, WPI 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Favazzo led off game two with a single, went to second when Peruzzi walked, and went to third on a junior Michael Petit (Sandwich, Mass.) walk. Sullivan followed up with a walk to score Favazzo, while senior Aaron Lundgren (Portsmouth, N.H.) drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 2-0.
• The Leopards increased their lead to 3-0 in the third inning. Lundgren drew a one-out walk, went to second on a groundout, and scored when sophomore Jake Prisco (Bridgewater, Mass.) reached on an error. WPI got a run back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single, cutting the lead to 3-1.
• With one out in the fifth, Lundgren singled and went to second when McManus walked. Both runners moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch before Sibert grounded out, scoring Lundgren to make it 4-1. In the bottom of the inning, WPI loaded the bases with two outs but sophomore Matt Ferrara (East Taunton, mass.) got an inning-ending strikeout.
• Sullivan led off the seventh with his first collegiate home run, which increased the lead to 5-1. In the bottom of the inning, the Engineers had runners on first and second, but junior Brodi Farinas (Lewiston, Maine) got a strikeout and a fly out to end the game.
• Sophomore Brady Aubuchon (Westminster, Mass.) got the win (1-0), allowing one run on two hits in four innings of work. Ferrara struck out four in two shutout innings, while Farinas pitched a scoreless seventh, striking out two. Sullivan drove in two, while Favazzo, Peruzzi, and Lundgren each collected hits.

ALL-TIME SERIES:

• Today was 15th and 16th all-time series meetings between the two teams.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth plays Vassarin a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon.

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