Baseball Picks up Senior Day Split

WEYMOUTH, Mass. – Sophomore Nick Cullinan (Sandy Hook, Conn.) and junior A.T. DiPina (Pawtucket, R.I.) each had four hits as the Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team split a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader against Suffolk. The Leopards took game one, 14-4, before the Rams won, 7-2, in the nightcap.

GAME ONE:  Wentworth 14, Suffolk 4

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Wentworth got on the board with pair of runs in the bottom of the first as freshman Mike Sibert (Billerica, Mass.) led off with a single and went to second on a Cullinan single. Junior Christian Peruzzi (Plymouth, Mass.) followed with a ground-rule double to score Sibert and graduate student Nolan McManus (Milton, Mass.) hit a sacrifice fly which scored Cullinan.
• Suffolk pulled within a run in the top of the second on an RBI triple off the bat of junior Garret Roberts (Stratham, N.H.) and took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth, thanks to graduate student Marc Birbiglia (Saint James, N.Y.) scoring on an error and Roberts scoring on a senior Luke Harder (Liverpool, N.Y.) single.
• The Leopards responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth as freshman Matt Robinson (Mystic, Conn.) led off with a single and stole second. Classmate Matthew Favazzo (Lexington, Mass.) walked and senior Chri Alcantara (Weymouth, Mass.) followed with a single that scored Robinson and moved Favazzo to third. Favazzo scored on a double play.
• The Rams tied the game in the top of the fifth as junior Joe Ward (Saugus, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice which allowed sophomore Harry Painter (Essex, Mass.) to score. IN the home half of the inning, McManus led off with a single, followed by a single from DiPina to put runners at first and second. Robinson doubled in McManus and, following a Favazzo walk, Alcantara singled to drive in DiPina. Robinson came around to score on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Jake Prisco (Bridgewater, Mass.).
• McManus led off the sixth inning with a double and was brought in by DiPina's first collegiate home run, making the score 11-4. In the seventh inning, Prisco led off getting hit by a pitch and went to second when Sibert reached on an error. Cullinan reached on an error which allowed Prisco to score and, with one out, Sibert scored on a wild pitch. DiPina ended the game with a single that brought home Cullinan.
• Senior Jon Campbell (Snohomish, Wash.) improved to 2-4 on the season, allowing four runs on seven hits and striking out six in six innings. Freshman Alec Peruzzi (Plymouth, Mass.) pitched a perfect seventh, striking out two. At the plate, Cullinan was 3-for-5 with two RBI while DiPina was 3-for-5 with three RBI. Peruzzi, McManus, Robinson, and Alcantara each had two hits.

GAME TWO:  Suffolk 7, Wentworth 2

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After a scoreless first two innings, Suffolk plated a pair of runs in the third as Painter hit a two-out, two-run single to put the Rams on the board. Wentworth closed the gap to 2-1 in the bottom of the inning when Prisco led off the inning with his first career home run.
• The fifth inning saw the Rams score three times, with runs coming on a passed ball, a wild pitch, and an error, making the score 5-1. In the bottom of the inning, Peruzzi belted his third home run of the season, cutting the gap to 5-2.
• The game remained 5-2 in favor of Suffolk until the eighth inning when Roberts led off the inning with a home run and Harder scored on a wild pitch. In the bottom of the inning the Black & Gold had runners on first and second with two outs, however a flyout ended the threat.
• Senior Brandon Sullivan (Quincy, Mass.) took the loss for Wentworth, pitching the first five innings and striking out five. Junior Brodi Farinas (Lewiston, Maine) struck out three over the final four innings. At the plate, Prisco was 2-for-4 while six other student-athletes collected a hit.

ALL-TIME SERIES:

• Today marked the 20th and 21st all-time meetings between the two teams.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth is at Salem State Monday afternoon.

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