BROCKTON, Mass. – Sophomore Ryan Obin (Plymouth, Mass.) spun a four-hit shutout to help pace the Wentworth Institute of Technology baseball team to a 1-0 win over Curry in Commonwealth Coast Conference play Sunday afternoon at Campanelli Stadium. The nightcap saw Colonel senior Brian Burke (Swampscott, Mass.) work out of a bases-loaded jam with two outs and the winning run on second in a 3-2 win.
Game One: Wentworth 1, Curry 0
Obin and junior David Griffin (Hanover, Mass.) were locked in a pitcher's duel for the game. Wentworth senior Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) led off the bottom of the first inning with a single and with two outs would be caught stealing to end the inning. An inning later Curry got its first hit when sophomore Tyler Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) hit a single off Obin's glove.
After senior Jimmy Temte (Northborough, Mass.) led off the second inning with a single, the two starting pitchers combined to set the next 14 batters down. The streak ended in the home half of the fourth when Temte drew a leadoff walk and went to third on a freshman Owen Swanson (New Milford, Conn.) single. Swanson stole second and on the throw the ball sailed into the outfield which allowed Temte to score.
Down to its last at bat the Colonels had runners on first and second as junior Justin Cage (Glendora, Calif.) hit a one-out single and went to second on a two-out single from senior Nick Crivello (Millville, Mass.). However, Obin ended the game with a strikeout.
Obin, who pitched at Curry as a freshman, improved to 5-3 on the year as he allowed four hits, walked just one, and struck out six. He also lowered his earned run average to 1.13 which sets a program single-season record. Ferri, junior Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.), Temte, and Swanson each had hits.
Griffin fell to 3-4 on the season, allowing an unearned run on four hits, walked two, and struck out five in six innings. Cage, Crivello, Jenkins, and freshman Adam Duarte (East Providence, R.I.) had Curry's hits.
Game Two: Curry 3, Wentworth 2
Helped by a pair of Wentworth errors, Curry scored all of its runs in the top of the first inning. With a 3-2 count on senior Alex McLean (Eliot, Maine), the game's first batter, the game was halted for an hour and 20 minutes due to inclement weather which moved through the area. When play resumed, McLean walked and went to third when freshman Mike Moreau (Marshfield, Mass.) reached on an error. Cage lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score McLean and Moreau went to third when senior Vincent LoPriore (Boston, Mass.) doubled. Sophomore Matt Fogarty (Millis, Mass.) grounded out to score Moreau and Crivello reached on Wentworth's second error of the inning which scored LoPriore.
Wentworth got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Ferri led off with a triple and came home when Weninger reached on an error. With two outs, Weninger stole second, however he was stranded there after a flyout ended the inning. Back-to-back walks with two outs in the third inning gave the Leopards a chance to tie the game, however Burke ended the inning with a strikeout.
The Leopards drew within one in the fourth inning when junior Bryon Kucharski (East Haven, Conn.) drove in a run on a fielder's choice. Junior Tim Elrick (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) led off with a double off the wall in left and went to third on a sophomore Jake Smith (Orange, Conn.) single. Kucharski's fielder's choice plated Elrick.
Senior Aaron Denis (Dover, N.H.) got out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the sixth as Crivello drew a one-out walk, went to second on a freshman Mitchell Carvalho (Cranston, R.I.) single, and, with two outs, went to third on a junior John Cave (Tewksbury, Mass.) walk. Denis got a popup to end the threat. An inning later, Cage singled and went to second when LoPriore walked. Sophomore Leo Coehlo (Marlborough, Mass.) came on in relief of Denis and struck the next two batters out to keep it a one-run game.
Down to its final at bat, Wentworth would leave the bases loaded. Jake Smith led off with a single through the right side, however freshman pinch runner Dan Mitchell (Avon, Mass.) was doubled off first on a bunt attempt. Sophomore Dan Cole (Kingston, Mass.) was hit by a pitch and was lifted for sophomore pinch runner Anthony de la Cruz (Lynn, Mass.). Ferri walked to move de la Cruz to second and Burst reached on a fielder's choice which allowed Ferri to take second on an error and move de la Cruz to third. Burke induced a popup to end the threat and the game.
Burke improved to 4-4 on the season as he allowed two runs on five hits, walked three, and struck out four in seven innings. Cage, LoPriore, Carvalho, and Duarte had Curry's hits.
In his final appearance as a Leopard, Denis pitched 6.1 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits while walking five and striking out seven. Smith had a pair of hits for the Black & Gold.
Wentworth sees its season end with a 15-16 (5-11 CCC) record while Curry (14-18, 10-6 CCC) will host Nichols in a first-round game of the CCC Tournament on Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.
(Game Recap Courtesy of Wentworth Institute of Technology Sports Information)
