SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 24, 2024) – The Western New England baseball team dropped a non-conference game on Wednesday afternoon to the Engineers of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, giving up 18 hits and ten runs in the game, falling by a final score of 10-2.
Records:
- Western New England: 16–15
- Rensselaer: 17-9
How It Happened:
After a clean first inning for Western New England starting pitcher
Todd Grammatico, the WNE sophomore got into trouble in the top of the second inning and could not recover, seeing ten Engineers come to bat in the top of the second while scoring six runs in the top of the second inning, jumping on the Golden Bears starter and pulling
Grammatico after just 1.1 innings, giving up eight hits and six earned runs while walking one and not strike out a batter.
Robert Zawacki cleaned up the top of the second, getting a strikeout looking while the Golden Bears caught the Engineers stealing at the plate, though RPI took a 6-0 lead after the top of the second.
The Golden Bears would attempt to cut into RPI's early lead by scoring one run in the bottom of the second inning when
Henry Schowerer produced an RBI single to right center field, scoring
Andrew Florek, who reached on a single to lead off the inning. The Golden Bears would leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning, grabbing a run and three hits in the inning. RPI would steal their run back in the top of the third after
Zawacki would hit a batter with the bases loaded, plating RPI's seventh run of the game. The senior righty would settle in and strike out the next two he faced, getting out of the top of the third by giving up just one run, seeing RPI lead 7-1.
The Golden Bears would not be able to score, though they would see the Engineers come away with their eighth run in the top of the fifth, collecting an infield hit to give the visitors an 8-1 advantage. Western New England would put together another run in the bottom of the sixth inning when
Schowerer picked up his second RBI of the game, as the Golden Bears would trail 8-2. RPI would continue to score in the game, coming away with two runs in the top of the seventh off
David Vignapiano, taking a commanding 10-2 lead. The Golden Bears would not be able to produce any hits following the RBI single from
Schowerer in the bottom of the sixth, as the Golden Bears would see the Engineers smack 18 hits off seven Golden Bear pitchers on the afternoon, coming away with a 10-2 victory over Western New England.
Inside the Diamond:
- Henry Schowerer led Western New England with two hits in four plate appearances on Wednesday afternoon, grabbing the only two RBIs for WNE in the game.
- Western New England used seven pitchers in the game, opening with Todd Grammatico, who lasted just 1.1 innings, giving up those eight hits and six runs.
- Robert Zawacki, Matt Lauria, Lucas Kamoen, David Vignapiano, Canon Marshall, and Aaron Cole would all see time for the Golden Bears on the hill.
- Seven of the nine starters in the lineup for RPI recorded at least two hits, while three of those batters had at least two RBIs.
- RPI used five pitchers on the afternoon, giving up just six hits to the Golden Bears while striking out six.
Up Next on the Schedule:
- The Golden Bears return to action on Saturday, April 27 at 11:00 AM to take on Wentworth Institute of Technology in Commonwealth Coast Conference play.