Offense Stays Hot As MIT Defeats WPI, 15-5

Sophomore Garrett Greenwood

NORTHBORO, Mass. – Reigning NEWMAC Player of the Week sophomore Austin Filiere (Chandler, Ariz.) went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, six RBI and two runs scored to lead MIT to a 15-5 victory over host WPI in a NEWMAC baseball divisional crossover game Wednesday afternoon at the New England Baseball Complex. The visiting Engineers improve to 10-8 overall and 8-1 in the league while the Crimson and Gray slip to 18-8 and 6-3.

Filiere made his presence known early as he connected on a 3-run blast to right center three batters into the game. Later in the frame, sophomore David Heller (Fair Lawn, N.J.) added a two-out RBI double to right center. WPI answered with two in the bottom of the inning as senior Alex Venditti (Newton, Mass.) launched a two-run homer. MIT pushed one more across in the second behind a two-out run-producing single through the left side by Filiere.

The Boynton Hillers had a chance to get two in the bottom of the third with a pair of outs as senior John Mulready (Rockland, Mass.) doubled in a run before the Cardinal and Gray gunned down a runner trying to score from first to end the inning. Filiere struck again in the fourth, this time with a hard-hit two-out RBI double to center field.

Each side plated a run in the fifth. Senior Kendall Helbert (St. Louis, Mo.) reached on a fielder's choice to classmate Nate Rodman (Corvallis, Ore.) across for MIT while Mulready sent a run-producing single to center.

The visiting Engineers began to pull further away with a three-run sixth spearheaded by a Rodman 2-RBI single up the middle. Senior Alec Echevarria (Chula Vista, Calif.) preceded his teammate with an RBI ground-rule double.

Senior Sean Greene (Hingham, Mass.) doubled and scored following a pair of ground outs, including one from senior John Caliri (Hanson, Mass.) who was credited with the RBI.

Sophomore Garrett Greenwood (Edmond, Okla.) doubled and Filiere singled in back-to-back at-bats as Cambridge's Engineers put two more on the board in the seventh. Helbert logged a 2-RBI triple and junior John Drago (Peoria, Ariz.) singled down the left field line to plate another as MIT held the 15-5 advantage in the top of the eighth.

Both Filiere and Venditti (3-for-4, double, home run, RBI) finished a triple shy of a cycle. Mulready batted 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored while Greene went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

Filiere was joined in the four-hit club by Greenwood who went 4-for-6 with a double, a stolen base an RBI and four runs scored. Hebert batted 3-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored to go along with a double. Drago and freshman Jared Schwait (Boca Raton, Fla.) each logged a pair of hits as Rodman added two RBI and Ecchevaria chipped in with a double, a stolen base and two runs scored. Heller dropped down a sacrifice bunt and doubled twice for MIT. Filiere and Rodman teamed up for a double play to aid the defense.

Junior David Hesslink (San Diego, Calif.) moved to 3-2 despite surrendering five runs on 11 hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 5 1/3. Sophomore Zach Michaud (Moorestown, N.J.) and senior Michael Wymer (Flower Mound, Texas) teamed up for 3 1/3 of no-hit baseball.

WPI opens a NEWMAC West series with a single game against Coast Guard at the NEBC Friday at 3:30pm while MIT entertains Worcester State today at 3:30pm.

Release Courtesy of WPI Sports Information