Baseball Opens CNE Play at Gordon

WENHAM, Mass. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team opened Conference of New England play with a doubleheader at Gordon. The Leopards were on the short end of a pair of one-run games, falling 9-8 (10 innings) and 6-5.

Mathew Favazzo and Devon Lapierre each had four hits on the day for the Leopards (4-12).

GAME ONE:  Gordon 9, Wentworth 8 (10)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Wentworth struck first in the top of the first inning. Devon Lapierre walked and stole second and, with one out, moved to third on a wild pitch. A Matthew Favazzo RBI double brought him in to score. Gordon threatened in the bottom of the inning, with runners on second and two outs, however, Nigel Cross induced a groundout to end the threat.
• Lapierre led off the third inning with a single and stole second. With one out, Favazzo grounded out, moving Lapierre to third and he scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. The Fighting Scots used a pair of RBI doubles and an RBI single in the home half of the inning to take a 3-2 lead after three innings.
• The top of the sixth saw Favazzo lead off to start the inning and, with two outs, move to second when Nick Cullina singled. However, a pop out left both runners on base. In the bottom of the inning, Gordon used a pair of singles, a sacrifice bunt, and a walk to load the bases with two outs. A two-run single from Chris Demers increased the lead to 5-2.
• Cyle Archer led off the seventh inning with a single and went to second on a passed ball. Matt Robinson had a pinch-hit single which moved Archer to third. Robinson stole second, putting two runners in scoring position. An RBI single from Lapierre moved Robinson to third and scored Archer, trimming the deficit to 5-3. Lapierre stole second putting two runners back in scoring position. However, a double play and a groundout ended the half inning.
• A pair of errors aided the Black & Gold get a run back in the eighth. DiPina and Christian Roncal led off with back-to-back singles. Cullinan reached on an error to load the bases, followed by Josh Turcotte reaching on an error that scored DiPina.
• Lapierre led off the top of the ninth getting hit by a pitch and went to third on an errant pickoff attempt. Favazzo brought him home with a single and DiPina followed with a two-run home run, giving the Leopards a 7-5 lead. Roncal singled and stole second. He went to third on a Cullinan double and scored on a Jake Prisco sacrifice fly, giving the Leopards an 8-5 lead.
• A two-run home run from Tyler Wilson brought the hosts to within one in the bottom of the ninth. After a walk and a single put runners on the corners, a stolen base put both runners in scoring position. With two outs, however, Robert Dunkle scored on a passed ball, tying the game at 8-all.
• Lapierre drew a one-out walk and with two outs went to second on a wild pitch in the top of the 10th. However, a fly out ended Wentworth's chances of taking the lead. Jonathan McIntyre led off the bottom of the 10th with a home run, giving the Fighting Scots the win.
• Cullinan was 3-for-4, while Favazzo and DiPina each had two hits and two RBI and Lapierre and Roncal also had a pair of hits. Brady Aubuchon took the loss (0-1). Nigel Cross scattered 10 hits and allowed five runs while striking out five in seven innings of work.

GAME TWO: Gordon 6, Wentworth 5

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Wentworth struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Lapierre led off the game with a single and stole second and third. With one out, Favazzo singled in Lapierre and Favazzo came around to score on a single from DiPina.
• Gordon took the lead in the bottom of the second, thanks in part to a two-run single from Ben Marciano. The Fighting Scots had runners at second and third with one out and had a runner thrown out at the plate for the second out. With runners on second and third again, an RBI single brought home the first run before Marciano delivered the two-run single.
• The hosts added a run to make it 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Demers singled to score McIntyre, who had singled and went to second on a passed ball. An inning later, Gordon had a runner at third with two outs, but Alec Peruzzi stranded him when he got a groundout to end the inning.
• Wentworth reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh. With one out, Prisco singled and went to second when Archer doubled. Lapierre reached on an error which moved Archer to third and scored Prisco. Lapierre went to second on a groundout and both Archer and Lapierre scored when Favazzo drove them both in with a single to make it 5-4.
• Gordon had the tying run in scoring position in the seventh inning before Wentworth loaded the bases but could not push a run across in the top of the ninth. An error with one out in the ninth, followed by a single, gave the Fighting Scots runners on first and second. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position and Gabe Fales delivered a single to tie the game. A bunt single with a runner on third gave the hosts the 6-5 win.
• Archer finished the game 3-for-4, while Favazzo was 2-for-5 with three RBI and Lapierre was 2-for-4 with a pair of stolen bases and two runs scored. Matt Ferrara suffered the loss (2-2). Peruzzi pitched the first seven innings, allowing four runs on five hits and striking out five.

ALL-TIME SERIES:

• Today was the 69th and 70th meetings between the two teams. Wentworth leads, 38-32.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth hosts Roger Williams on Tuesday night.

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