THE BASICS:

- Records: MIT (13-8-1, 5-2 NEWMAC); Clark University (11-15, 3-7 NEWMAC)

- Scores: Clark University 6, MIT 2

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

- The Lead: Despite outhitting Clark University by a 6-4 margin on Wednesday afternoon, the MIT baseball team dropped a 6-2 final to the Cougars in a NEWMAC matchup at Fran O'Brien Field.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

- Nicholas Jordan drew a leadoff walk in the third, moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt and a passed ball and came around on an RBI groundout from Dylan Horn for the 1-0 Clark lead. The Cougars added three runs in the top of fourth behind three hits that included a two-RBI single through the left side by Andrea Casabianca.

- Clark starting pitcher Daniel Davidoff gave way to Cal Slepkow in the fourth and after two scoreless innings, MIT got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Ethan Rolland (Burke, Va.) doubled to deep left to lead off the inning, followed by a hit by pitch from senior Jared Schwait (Boca Raton, Fla.) and a single to right by junior Matt Johnston (Portola Valley, Calif.) that loaded the bases with one out. An RBI single by sophomore Andrew Krause (St. Louis, Mo.) and a sacrifice fly by senior Alec Kushner (Cooper City, Fla.) brought in a pair and the game went to the seventh at just 4-2 in favor of Clark.

- In the top of the seventh, Andrew Thibault was hit with the bases loaded to drive in Horn, followed by an RBI fielder's choice by Christopher Radovic that scored Kyle Shaw for the 6-2 margin. The Engineers had base runners in the seventh and eighth innings before Slepkow set MIT down in order in the ninth to preserve the victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

- Senior Nick Charchut (Santa Monica, Calif.) went six innings on the mound, scattering four hits with four runs, three walks and eight strikeouts. He did take the loss for the Engineers, falling to 0-2 overall. Sophomore Casey Bussone (Danvers, Mass.) and first-year Ben Burke (Chelmsford, Mass.) combined for 2.2 innings of hitless relief with one walk and three strikeouts.

- Slepkow improved to 5-2 after six innings of five-hit relief, allowing two runs with one walk and seven strikeouts. 

- Offensively, Schwait drew two walks in the leadoff spot while Rolland went 2-for-3 with a double. Clark's Horn and Casabianca each had two runs batted in to lead the Cougar offense.

UP NEXT:

- MIT opens a three-game series with Babson College on the road on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., followed by a doubleheader in Cambridge on Saturday, April 13th beginning at Noon.

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