CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Playing in their first New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) baseball games of the season, MIT and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy split a doubleheader this afternoon at Briggs Field. In the first game the Engineers broke things open with five runs in the seventh to come away with a 7-2 win, while in the nightcap the Bears scored four times in the first and then held off a late MIT rally to take an 8-6 victory.

Game 1

Both MIT (3-7, 1-1 NEWMAC) and Coast Guard (7-10, 1-1 NEWMAC) had strong outings from their starters. For MIT senior Nicholas Locascio (Naples, Fla.) gave up no runs on three hits over the first five innings, while junior Luke Sniatkowski (Verona N.J.) matched him over the first five, allowing just a pair of hits.

In the sixth the Bears broke the scoreless battle when senior Kyle Wood (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) singled, stole second, moved to third on an error and then scored on a sac fly by junior Timbo Duncan (Heath, Texas). MIT came right back in the bottom half of the inning when a pair of two-out walks set the stage for a two-run triple by senior Kendall Helbert (St. Louis, Mo.) to give the Engineers their first lead of the day.

MIT then put it away in the seventh with five runs. A walk and a double put runners on second and third for freshman Jared Schwait (Boca Raton, Fla.) who singled under the glove of the shortstop for two runs. Sophomore Austin Filiere (Chandler, Ariz.) later followed with a two run double down the line in right before scoring the final run of the inning on a sac fly.

Coast Guard added a run in the eighth, but could do no more. Locascio picked up his first win of the season with seven innings of five-hit ball, giving up just the one run and striking out seven. Sniatkowski took the loss, giving up four runs on four hits over six innings. Sophomore Zach Michaud (Moorestown, N.J.) finished up for MIT, giving up one urn on three hits over two innings.

Sophomore Garrett Greenwood (Edmond, Okla.) had a pair of hits for MIT, with freshman Luke Thompson (San Ramon, Calif.) and senior Mark Behne (Clifton, Va.) also collecting a pair of hits for Coast Guard. 

Game 2

Coast Guard got things going early, with Thompson and Behne starting the game with a single and a double. One run scored on an error before Wood plated the second with a single. Freshman Will Stephens (Raleigh, N.C.) then came up with a big two-out hit, doubling in two more to make it 4-0.

Coast Guard tacked on another run in the fourth before MIT came up with its first run of the game in the bottom half of the inning, loading the bases for sophomore David Heller (Fair Lawn, N.J.) whose ground out put the Engineers on the board.

That was all that Bears' starter, junior Colton Cannon (Kennesaw, Ga.), would allow over the first six innings as he allowed just three hits over the span. Coast Guard went on to score in the sixth and added two more in the seventh on a two-run double from Stephens to take an 8-1 lead.

MIT made a comeback attempt in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with one down. Junior John Drago (Peoria, Ariz.) brought home one run with a sac fly before Greenwood loaded the bases again with a bunt single. Filiere then lofted a deep fly to right that made it over the fence for a grand slam, cutting the Coast Guard lead to 8-6.

That is where the score would stay. Junior Eric Vrissis (Stamford, Conn.) came out of the bullpen for the Bears and gave up Filiere's slam, but surrendered just one more hit the rest of the way as he retired the side in order in the eighth and ninth to wrap it up.

Stephens had a big day for Coast Guard, collecting four hits in five trips and driving in four runs in the contest. Thompson added two more hits, giving him four for the day between the two gams for the Bears. Greenwood added two more hits in game two, giving him a 4-for-9 afternoon for the Engineers. Cannon picked up the win, surrendering five runs on six hits over 6.2 innings. Sophomore Will Loucks (Las Vegas, Nev.) started for MIT and went 5.2 innings in taking the loss, giving up six runs, four earned, on nine hits while striking out nine. Senior Michael Wymer (Flower Mound, Texas) finished the game for MIT, going 1.2 innings with out giving up a hit and striking out a pair. 

MIT will return to action on March 28 when it plays at Suffolk University starting at 4:00 p.m.