Box Score CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – MIT scored two runs to break a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning and then held off a ninth inning rally by Rhode Island College to pick up a 3-2 nonconference baseball victory this afternoon. Freshman Austin Filiere (Chandler, Ariz.) drove in the winning runs in the seventh and freshman Will Loucks (Las Vegas, Nev.) turned in a strong starting performance on the mound to carry the Engineers to the win.
It was a pitcher's dual from the start as Loucks and freshman Jake Murray (Middletown, R.I.) for Rhode Island College (20-10) matched each other over the first six innings. Loucks set down the first 10 batters he faced, not allowing a hit until the fourth inning while Murray allowed just an unearned run on four hits over the first four innings for the Anchormen.
That run came in the third when junior Nate Rodman (Corvallis, Ore.) reached on a fielder's choice, moving to second when the throw to first got away. Senior Reid Bishop (Cypress, Texas) followed with a base hit to left that was bobbled, allowing Rodman to score.
Rhode Island College finally broke through against Loucks in the sixth when freshman Shaun Vigeant (Coventry, R.I.) reached on an infield single, moved up on a ground out and came around to score on a base hit to left by junior Matt Foley (Seekonk, Mass.). The was the final inning for Loucks, who allowed the one run on three hits while striking out four without issuing a walk.
In the seventh MIT (22-10) put together what proved to be the game-winning rally. Base hits by freshman Garrett Greenwood (Edmond, Okla.) and junior Chad Uyehara (Attleboro, Mass.) put two on with two away. Sophomore John Drago (Peoria, Ariz.) drew a walk, bringing in J Roy to pitch for the Anchormen. Filiere greeted him with a single through the left side, putting the Engineers up 3-1.
Senior K.J. Parent (Knoxville, Tenn.) threw the seventh and eighth for MIT, allowing just a hit before junior Michael Wymer (Flower Mound, Texas) came on in the ninth. Foley led off and smashed a drive over the fence in left center for his 10th home run of the season to make it a one-run game. Senior Patrick Rogers (Waterford, Conn.) then walked and senior Tyler Santaniello (Cumberland, R.I.) singled to put two on for the Anchormen. Freshman Frank Pettinato (Cranston, R.I.) sacrificed the runners over before sophomore Tyler Rains (North Kingstown, R.I.) was intentionally walked to load the bases. Wymer worked his way out of the jam, getting the next hitter to line out to right before finishing the game off with a strikeout to earn his third save of the season.
Parent was the winner for MIT, improving to 3-0, while Murray took the loss after surrendering six hits and three runs, two earned, over his 6.2 innings of work while striking out six and walking three.
Foley was the only hitter for Rhode Island College with two hits, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Cornwell was 2-for-4 for MIT with a double.
MIT will play again on Saturday when it hosts the finals of the 2015 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Baseball Tournament. The Engineers will take on Wheaton College in a doubleheader that starts the best of three series at Noon on Saturday. Rhode Island College will take the field again on Friday when it plays a doubleheader at Plymouth State University starting at 12:00 p.m.
