Box Score MANSFIELD, Conn. – After tying the game in the eighth inning, MIT blew the game open in extra innings with an eight-run 10th to come away with a 12-4, 10-inning non-conference baseball victory over Eastern Connecticut State University. Senior Kendall Helbert (St. Louis, Mo.) and sophomore David Heller (Fair Lawn, N.J.) each had four hits, with Helbert driving in three runs to lead the Engineers to the win.
MIT (19-10) got things started in the 10th with a walk, single, and a hit batter to load the bases with one down for sophomore Max Lancaster (Attleboro, Mass.) who became the second batter to be plunked in the inning to bring home the first run. Sophomore Garrett Greenwood (Edmund, Okla.) then made it three hit batters in a row to plate another run, making it 6-4. The Engineers would wind up sending 13 batters to the plate in the inning, collecting four hits, two walks, and three hit batters on their way to the big inning. Heller drove in a pair with a single and Helbert added a run-scoring double.
MIT took an early 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single off the bat of senior Alec Echevarria (Chula Vista, Calif.), but Eastern Connecticut State (18-11) came back with three in the bottom of the second when the Warriors started the inning with a bunt single and a walk. D.J. Scavone then followed with a home run to put East Conn. up 3-1.
Helbert brought home his first run of the day in the fourth, singling in senior Nate Rodman (Corvallis, Ore.) to make it a one-run game. The Engineers then tied it in the sixth when sophomore Austin Filiere (Chandler, Ariz.) scored on an error after leading off the inning with a double.
Scavone answered with a sac fly in the bottom half of the sixth to put the Warriors back on top, but MIT tied it in the eighth when Rodman led off with a walk, moved to third on a single and came in on Helbert's RBI hit to right.
Freshman Patrick Callahan (Vicksburg, Mich.) came on in relief in the seventh and pitched three solid innings to pick up the victory, giving up just a pair of hits and a pair of walks. Greenwood came on the bottom of the 10th and struck out the side, allowing one hit in finishing up. Senior Alan Wang (Paoli, Pa.) started for the Engineers and went three innings, giving up the three-run home run. Freshman Jack Murphy (Pleasanton, Calif.) then came on and pitched three innings, giving up just one run on a pair of hits.
Helbert finished 4-for-6 at the plate with one double, three RBI and one run scored. Heller was 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored. Filiere had a pair of hits, walked and scored three times, and stole a pair of bases.
Scavone drove in all the runs for Eastern Connecticut State, finishing with a 2-for-3 line and adding a triple to his home run. Alex Zachary led the Warriors with three hits in five trips, scoring twice. John Parker started and went four innings, giving up a pair of runs on five hits and striking out five.
MIT will be back on the field tomorrow when the Engineers host UMass Boston on O'Brien Field starting at 4:00 p.m.
