THE BASICS:

- Records: MIT (3-3-1); Bates College (4-5)

- Scores: Bates College 7, MIT 4

- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Fran O'Brien Field)

- The Lead: In non-conference action on Wednesday afternoon, the MIT baseball team dropped a 7-4 home final to Bates College. The Bobcats got off to a fast start with four runs in the first inning to close the all-time series to within 17-14-1 in favor of the Engineers.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

- In the first, the Bobcats strung together four hits and took advantage of an MIT error to take the 4-0 advantage. Leading the offense in the inning was Bryan Gotti's two-RBI double to left that brought home Jack Arend and Dan Trulli.

- The visitors capitalized on two Engineer miscues in the top of the second to extend the lead to 6-0, including an RBI groundout by Arend that plated Jon Lindgren. MIT answered in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs as sophomore Ethan Rolland (Burke, Va.) and junior Matt Johnston (Portola Valley, Calif.) each registered RBI hits. Rolland doubled to right center to score first-year Cory O'Shea (Glen Allen, Va.), while Johnston's hit brought senior Jared Schwait (Boca Raton, Fla.) around to score.

- For MIT, senior Zeke Long (Albuquerque, N.M.) came on in relief to start the third inning and was outstanding for the Engineers as he kept the Bobcats off the board for five innings. MIT added two runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead down to 6-4 as junior Tony Rice (Colorado Springs, Colo.) singled up the middle to bring in sophomore Zach Roberts (West Chester, Pa.) and junior Thomas Allison (Kingwood, Texas).

- The Bobcats scored a single run in the top of the eighth to account for the 7-4 final as the Engineers outhit Bates by a narrow 9-8 margin on the day.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:  

- Nolan Collins picked up the win for Bates to move to 2-0 overall as he went six innings, scattering eight hits with four runs (two earned) and six strikeouts. Jared Pantalony went the final three frames, allowed just one hit and no runs for the save.

- Sophomore Tommy Hannan (San Marino, Calif.) took the loss over two innings and is now 1-2 for the season after allowed three hits and six runs (three earned). Long registered eight strikeouts in relief and allowed just three hits in his five-inning effort.

- Offensively, the Engineers had three players with two hits each with Schwait, Rolland and Rice. For the Bobcats, Will Sylvia went 2-for-4 and Christian Beal and Lindgren each scored twice.

UP NEXT:

- MIT now heads to Southern California for a six-game trip that begins on Sunday, March 24th at the University of La Verne. That game is scheduled for an 11 a.m. start Pacific time.

STAY CONNECTED:

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