MIT Edges Suffolk, 5-4

BOSTON, Mass. – MIT scored a run in the eighth to break a 4-4 tie and then held on to take a 5-4 non-conference baseball victory over Suffolk University this afternoon. Freshman Patrick Callahan (Vicksburg, Mich.) drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly and then pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up the save for the Engineers.

Suffolk (22-8) put the first run on the board in the second when the Rams loaded the bases on a pair of hits and a walk that set up a Sean Cameron sac fly to right. That was all Suffolk would get, however, as MIT starter, freshman Zeke Long (Albuquerque, N.M.) got out of the jam by retiring the next two hitters.

In the bottom of the third Kevin Belskie singled with a pair of runners on to put the Rams up 2-0, but
MIT (16-9) answered in the top of the fourth when sophomore Garrett Greenwood (Edmond, Okla.) led off with an infield single and classmate Austin Filiere (Chandler, Ariz.) followed with his 10^th home run of the season to tie it.

Suffolk struck again in the fifth when Seth Coliey led off with a walk, stole second and then third, and then scored on a base hit by Drew Carter.  MIT came back in the top of the sixth with a pair of runs to take its first lead of the game. A hit batter and a single put two on for senior Alec Echevarria (Chula Vista, Calif.) who singled up the middle to tie the game. With two down and two on a throwing error by the Rams' third baseman allowed Echevarria to score the go-ahead run.

MIT's lead did not last long as the Rams tied it back up at 4-4 in their half of sixth when a hit batter and a walk put a pair on for Rob Marks whose single to right made it 4-2.

It stayed tied until the eighth when MIT loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a hit batter with one out. That brought up Callahan, who battled through a number of pitches from Suffolk's Mark Fusco before driving one into left that was deep enough to score Echevarria an a sac fly.

Greenwood then came on to pitch the eighth and allowed just one hit to the Rams before giving way to Callahan in the ninth, who gave up a pair of singles but also recorded a pair of strikeouts, including the final out of the contest to pick up his first career save. That made a winner of senior Eric Tu (San Ramon, Calif.) who retired the Rams in order in the seventh.

Filiere led a nine-hit MIT attack with a 3-for-4 day that included the home run and a double. Senior Nate Rodman (Corvallis, Ore.) added a pair of base hits for the Engineers. For Suffolk, Carter went 3-for-4 with an RBI, with Marks and Belskie adding a pair of hits in five trips for the Rams.

MIT will open its final three-game New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) series of the season, taking on Wheaton College in the first game tomorrow at 3:30 at O'Brien Field at MIT.