CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Visiting Clark University rallied from deficits of 4-0 and 5-4 to defeat the MIT baseball team in a key NEWMAC regular season contest on Thursday afternoon at Fran O'Brien Field. MIT hit four home runs in the contest, including a pair from senior Malachi Soqui (Castaic, Calif.), as the Engineers broke the program record for home runs in a season in the loss.
THE BASICS:
- Score: Clark 9, MIT 7
- Records: Clark (25-12 Overall, 9-6 NEWMAC), MIT (15-18 Overall, 10-5 NEWMAC)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- MIT got out to a 4-0 lead on the strength of three home runs in the early innings.
- CJ McCarthy (Pawling, N.Y.) and Zev Moore (Jerusalem, Israel) hit the 39th and 40th MIT home runs of the season, going back to back in the first inning to break the MIT single season team program record. McCarthy's home run was a two-run shot as MIT jumped ahead 3-0 after one.
- The Engineers continued to lead 3-0 until the fourth inning when Soqui hit his eighth home run of the season to make the score 4-0.
- Clark rallied all the way back in the top of the fifth inning, scoring four runs on two hits to spoil the day for MIT starter Chase Rubin (Arlington, Va.) after Rubin had posted four scoreless frames to begin his outing. The big hit in the inning came with the bases loaded as Dom Mariani (Walpole, Mass.) drove in all three runners with a double to left.
- MIT went in order in the bottom of the fifth inning but took back the lead in the bottom of the sixth as Zev Moore and Reed Tubbs (Pflugerville, Texas) opened the inning with back to back doubles, with Tubbs driving in Moore to make the score 5-4.
- Clark fought back again in the seventh inning, this time taking its first lead of the afternoon at 6-5 with a two-run inning that came courtesy of a bases loaded double from Brayden Hollinrake (Goffstown, N.H.).
- The Cougars added another run in the eighth inning, moving ahead 7-5 thanks to an RBI single from Michael Soares (Concord, Mass.).
- Soqui answered the call for MIT in the bottom half of the eighth inning. Zev Moore reached bases on a hit by pitch before Soqui hit his second home run of the game to tie the score at 7-7.
- Once more, Clark seized back the momentum in the top of the ninth inning, this time taking the lead for good thanks to a fielder's choice RBI form Anthony LoCasto (New Rochelle, N.Y.) and a bases loaded walk to Michael Salzillo (Johnston, R.I.).
- Owen Malone (Portsmouth, R.I.) singled to open the bottom of the ninth for MIT but the game would end when reliever R. Roth got John Spivey (Saint Louis, Mo.) to ground into a double play to end the game.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- With four home runs, MIT eclipsed the season team record of 38 home runs set during the 2015 season.
- MIT has now hit four home runs in a game four times this season, including twice this week.
- Soqui is one of the hottest hitters in the nation right now, with seven home runs in his last seven games and 13 RBIs in three games this week. He now leads the team with 36 runs batted in.
- Sophomore Brendan Bruun (Randolph, N.J.) earned the win for Clark, pitching 3.0 innings despite only giving up two runs on one hit – Soqui's second home run of the game. At the time Bruun excited the score was tied 7-7 but Clark scored twice in the top of the inning to pick up Bruun.
- Tubbs took the loss in relief, giving up a pair of runs.
UP NEXT:
- MIT will host Clark again on Saturday at 10:00 AM in the NEWMAC and regular season finale for both teams.
- Both teams have clinched a spot in the postseason but two games currently separate the first and sixth place teams in the NEWMAC standings.
STAY CONNECTED:
