BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Visiting Wentworth posted an 8-4 win over Bridgewater State University in non-conference college baseball action on Friday afternoon at Alumni Park.
The Leopards improve to 4-8 with the victory, while the Bears slip to 5-4. The game marked the home opener for Bridgewater State.
Aaron Denis (Dover, N.H.) went eight-plus innings to pick up the win on the mound for Wentworth. Denis (1-2) gave up four runs (two earned) on nine hits. He walked two and fanned two while inducing three double play ground balls.
Jimmy Temte (Northborough, Mass.) went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, a run and an RBI to lead the Leopard's 13-hit attack. Tyler Weninger (Chandler, Ariz.), Jordan Burst (Jackson, N.J.) and Ross Golebiewski (Lyme, Conn.) also finished with multiple hits for the visitors. Weninger went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Burst was 2-for-5 with a run and Golebiewski went 2-for-5 with a run and two RBI.
Ryan Feeney (East Bridgewater, Mass.) banged out three hits in five at bats to pace the BSU offense. Anthony Licciardello (Haverhill, Mass.) also finished with multiple hits as he went 2-for-4.
Ryan Hayward (Lynn, Mass.) took the loss on the mound for the Bears. Hayward allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits with one strikeout over three innings of work.
In a game that featured 12 errors (six by each team), the Leopards got the scoring started with an unearned run in the top of the first. Christian Ferri (Bloomfield, N.J.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the game and moved to second on a wild pitch. After the next two batters were retired, Burst reached on a two-base throwing error which allowed Ferri to come all the way around for the first run of the game.
Wentworth made it a 3-0 game in the third as back-to-back singles by Weninger and Burst put runners on second and third with one out. Johnny Ryan (Brant Rock, Mass.) plated Weninger with an RBI groundout and Temte followed with a run-scoring single.
The Bears benefited from some shaky Wentworth defense to get on the board in the bottom of the third. Scott O'Brien (East Bridgewater, Mass.) reached on an error, moved to second on a base hit by Licciardello and to third when the center fielder bobbled the ball. O'Brien scored BSU's first run of the game on a double play groundout. Feeney kept the inning going with a base hit and came all the way around from first when Travis Ritchie (Taunton, Mass.) reached on a two-base throwing error.
The Leopards got a run back in the top of the fourth. Jake Smith (Orange, Conn.) singled off the pitcher's hand and advanced to second two batters later on a sacrifice bunt. Weninger followed with an RBI single to right-center to score Smith and give the visitors a 4-2 lead.
A two-run single by Golebiewski in the fifth extended the Leopard advantage to four. Golebiewski would later score on a throwing error to make it a 7-2 ballgame.
The Bears cut the deficit to 7-3 in the bottom of the seventh as Keaghan Austin-MacInnis (Lakeville, Mass.) drew a bases loaded walk. The Leopards got the run right back in the top half of the eighth as Ferri led off the frame with a base hit, moved to third on Tim Elrick's (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) double and raced home as the left fielder misplayed the ball.
Bridgewater State picked up a run in the bottom of the ninth on a RBI groundout to account for the final score of 8-4.
The game took just two hours and 18 minutes to play. Each team left ten runners on base in addition to committing six errors apiece.
Both teams have doubleheaders on Saturday starting at noon. The Bears entertain the Anchormen of Rhode Island College, while the Leopards travel to Fitchburg State University to take on the Falcons.