Posted: Apr 28, 2009

Baseball Outslugged At WPI, 15-8

BASEBALL OUTSLUGGED BY WPI, 15-8

WORCESTER, MA, April 28, 2009 - Elms College sophomore shortstop Brendan Cordeiro (Berkley, MA) went 3 for 6 with two runs scored and freshman third baseman Nico Iavicoli (Hampden, MA) went 2 for 3, but WPI overcame an early four-run deficit with 10 runs over the first four innings then went on to post a 15-8 win over the Blazers in Tuesday's non-conference baseball game at the Class of 1893 Field.

Elms College fell to 16-17 on the season, as it now prepares for this weekend's inaugural New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Tournament. The second-seeded Blazers will face third-seeded Becker at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, May 1 at Southern Vermont.

For WPI, Tuesday's win tied the school record for victories in a season with 24, as the Engineers move to 24-11 on the year.

On the day in which the senior class was honored, juniors Paul Galligan (Weymouth, MA) and Cody McGregor (Westfield, MA) combined for six hits, seven runs scored and four RBI to lead the Engineers. WPI scored multiple runs in five of their eight innings at the plate, and overcame an early 4-0 deficit to win.

The Crimson-and-Gray plated three runs in the bottom of the first to catch up, keyed by Galligan's second home run of the season. The Engineers took the lead for good in the bottom of the second inning, when Galligan and Mark Dignum (Albany, NY) came home following a Nick Bean (Middleboro, MA) single, giving WPI a 5-4 lead.

WPI plated five more in the bottom of the fourth to break the game open. Catcher Joe Walsh (Weymouth, MA) led off the rally with a single, scoring on a Dignum RBI base hit. Galligan plated Walsh with another run-scoring single, while McGregor delivered an RBI double in the gap to key the Engineers' outburst.

Elms College crept to within 10-7 with a rally in the sixth, getting a RBI single from Bob Reyome (Westfield, MA) and a bases loaded walk from Jonathan Ortiz (Carolina, Puerto Rico). The Engineers tallied two runs in each of the seventh and eighth innings to pull away once again, getting back-to-back extra base hits in the seventh from Galligan and Bean and a RBI single from Scott McNee (Falmouth, MA), while adding RBI singles from John Flynn (Albion, ME) and Greg Mannke (Weymouth, MA) in the eighth.

Elms tacked on its eighth run in the top of the eighth on a Felix Montalvo (Carolina, Puerto Rico) RBI single to left.

WPI got a lift from its bullpen, with Bryan Watkins (Belmont, MA) improving to 4-0 on the year with 4 1/3 innings of work. Alex Hansen (Burlington, CT) and Thomas Whiting (Farmington Hills, MI) combined to close out the game with 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball. Craig Hippert (South Barre, MA) suffered the loss for Elms College, falling to 2-3 on the year.

Galligan, who on Monday joined the 100-career hit club, led the Engineers with a 3 for 4 day, scoring four times and driving in three. McGregor was 3 for 5 at the plate with three runs scored, while Flynn, Matt Moreau (Manchester, NH), McNee, and DH Mike Swanton (Foxboro, MA) each had two hits for WPI.

For WPI, the win marks the 78th victory for the senior class, the most in the 106-year history of the baseball program at WPI and besting the previous record for wins in a class by 16 victories. The members of that record-setting class, Jonathan Quintero (Miami, FL), Scott McNee (Falmouth, MA), Ben Erle (Boylston, MA), Conor Fahey (Cumberland, RI) and Ethan Brown (Lunenburg, MA) were all honored in Senior Day ceremonies prior to the first pitch.