CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – MIT rattled off 10 runs during the first three innings en route to a 14-7 non-conference baseball victory over Saint Joseph's College (Maine) on Thursday. Sophomore Austin Filiere (Chandler, Ariz.) went 3-for-3 while tallying a pair of doubles, runs, walks, and one RBI for the Engineers (21-14). Greg Emanuelson led the way for the Monks (26-15) with a 2-for-3 performance that included two RBI.
MIT jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning. Sophomore Garrett Greenwood (Edmond, Okla.) started things off by doubling down the leftfield line and later scored on senior Alec Echevarria's (Chula Vista, Calif.) single to left center. Senior Nate Rodman (Corvallis, Ore.) cleared the bases with a single to right center, plating Filiere and Echevarria. The Engineers posted two more runs as a fly ball by senior Kendall Helbert (St. Louis, Mo.) was dropped in leftfield, which allowed sophomore Max Lancaster (Attleboro, Mass.) and Rodman to score.
The Cardinal and Gray tacked on another run in the next frame, increasing its advantage to 6-0, but Saint Joseph's generated five runs in the top of the third. After reaching first base on a fielding error, Joey Murphy advanced to third courtesy of Jonathan Panaro's double to right center. Taylor Reuillard grounded out to first base which pushed Murphy across the plate. A double to left field by Nic Lops brought Panaro home and then he scored following a throwing error on Dennis Meehan's hit. Another infield error put Max McCoomb on base while the throw moved both runners into scoring position. Emanuelson kept the two-out rally going as his single to left center emptied the bases and brought the visitors within one (6-5).
MIT replied with its own two-out rally that generated four runs in the bottom half of the inning. A Helbert single and freshman Jared Schwait's (Boca Raton, Fla.) bunt was followed by junior John Drago's (Peoria, Ariz.) double to right center. Greenwood reached first on a fielding error, allowing Drago to score. The Engineers then claimed a 10-5 lead courtesy of Filiere's double that plated Greenwood.
The score remain unchanged until MIT produced four runs in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded, a passed ball brought Schwait home while a wild pitch resulted in a run for Drago and moved Greenwood to third. After Filiere was walked, a sacrifice fly by Echevarria plated Greenwood. Filiere recorded the Engineers' next run courtesy of a wild pitch and a single by Lancaster to left field.
Saint Joseph's capped the scoring with two runs in the top of the eighth. Mike Kinch opened the frame with a walk and then stole second as Brett Barbati also reached on a walk. Coming in to pinch hit, Noah McDaniel singled down the right field line to score Kinch. Nick Petchell immediately followed with a single up the middle that pushed Barbati across the plate. Following a strike out Lops loaded the bases with a single through the right side; however, the next batter struck out looking to end the inning.
Senior Nicholas Locascio (Naples, Fla.) earned the win for MIT, striking out six while surrendering one earned run and eight hits in six innings of work. Drago compiled three runs, two RBI, and two walks as Schwait was 2-for-3 and scored two runs.
Grayson Jennings was charged with the loss as he was allowed four hits, three earned runs, and one walk in the first inning. McCoomb went 2-for-3 in addition to posting a run while Lops had a 2-for-5 day that also included a run.
Next up for MIT will be the semifinals of the ECAC Tournament on Saturday, May 14. The No. 1 seed Engineers will host No. 4 Massachusetts Maritime Academy at 11:00 a.m. For Saint Joseph's, the loss signals the end of the 2016 campaign.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
