HAMPTON, Va. – Shrugging off the New England weather that has delayed the start of its season, the MIT baseball team opened the 2014 campaign this afternoon with a 20-hit attack that resulted in 11 runs as the Engineers scored an 11-3 win over the Apprentice School. Senior Creed Mangrum (Sandy, Utah) and junior Parker Tew (Chapel Hill, N.C.) each had four hits and drove in three runs to lead MIT to the win.

MIT wasted no time in getting on the board, as junior Reid Bishop (Cypress, Texas) led off with a single that was followed by a Mangrum double down the line in left. Tew then plated the first run of the season for the Engineers with a single up the middle. Apprentice knotted things up in the bottom half of the inning on a sac fly by Lee Rossi, but the Engineers went right back on top in the second on a home run off the bat of sophomore Kendall Helbert (St. Louis, Mo.).

Senior Rob Bertucci (Bellville, Ill.) overcame a shaky start in the first inning to hold Apprentice in check, allowing two runs on four hits in his four innings of work. MIT broke the game open in the fourth when the Engineers put two on with one down for senior Sean Karson (Orlando, Fla.). He hit into a fielder's choice that saw the Builders get the runner at second, but an errant throw by the shortstop allowed junior K.J. Parent (Knoxville, Tenn.) to score. Senior Jon Rea (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Tew then added RBI singles to push MIT to a 5-1 lead.

After adding single runs in the sixth and seventh, MIT put the game away with a four-run eighth. The Engineers loaded the bases on a single, a hit batter and a walk. With one down Karson singled to right to plate one run. One batter later Mangrum cleared the bases with a double to left that put MIT up 11-3. 

Sophomore Alan Wang (Paoli, Pa.) picked up the win, following Bertucci to the mound with 1.2 innings of work in which he gave up a hit and a run while striking out a pair. Seniors Tim Wilson (Nacogdoches, Texas) and Max Ockner (Chesterfield, Mo.) and sophomore Eric Tu (San Roman, Calif.) all pitched one inning of scoreless relief for the Engineers.

Chris Aldridge had three hits in four trips to lead an eight-hit Apprentice attack. Starter Kelmin Escalera gave up five runs on 11 hits over the first 3.2 innings and took the loss.

MIT will play two games tomorrow at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton, taking on Tufts University at 3:00 p.m. followed by a 6:00 p.m. matchup with St. Vincent College.