CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – MIT's bats exploded for a season-high 11 runs as the Engineers took an 11-1 baseball win over Springfield College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) game this afternoon. Senior Alec Echevarria (Chula Vista, Calif.) drove in four runs and junior David Hesslink (San Diego, Calif.) pitched seven strong innings to lead MIT to the victory.

It was all decided in the first three innings when MIT (4-7, 2-1 NEWMAC) scored 10 of its 11 runs, including a six-run second inning. MIT opened the first with a pair of singles, but Springfield (6-7-1, 0-3 NEWMAC) starter, sophomore Kyle Naples (Kensington, Conn.) picked up two outs before Echevarria drove a ball to left for a two-run double. In the second the Engineers sent nine hitters to the plate, getting four hits, a walk and a hit batter that led to the six runs. Freshman Jared Schwait (Boca Raton, Fla.) singled home the first run before a sac fly from sophomore Garrett Greenwood (Edmond, Okla.) brought home the second. The Engineers capped the inning with a two-run double by senior Nate Rodman (Corvallis, Ore.) and a two-run home run by Echevarria.

A two-run home run off the bat of freshman Alec Kushner (Cooper City, Fla.) in the third completed the early scoring for MIT and put the game out of Springfield's reach. Hesslink held the Pride's bats in check through seven innings, giving up just one run on four hits while striking out three to pick up his first win of the season.

Springfield picked up its only run of the game in the fourth when junior JP Peters (Guilford, Conn.) led off with a double and eventually scored on a fielder's choice ball of the bat of sophomore Kyle Allen (Westerly, R.I.). Freshman Brian Johnson (East Haddam, Conn.) came on in relief in the third and kept MIT from doing any further damage, throwing four innings of one-hit ball.

Echevarria finished with a 2-for-4 day, with a double, home run and four RBI. Greenwood, Kushner and Schwait all added two hits for the Engineers, who banged out a total of 12. Peters and senior Colin King (Berlin, Conn.) both had a pair of hits for Springfield.

MIT will play again on Thursday, when the Engineers will host Endicott College at 3:30 p.m. Springfield will again tomorrow, traveling to Amherst College for a 3:30 p.m. contest.