Game #1 - WPI 11, Pitt-Greensburg, 6
Game #2 - Pitt-Greensburg 3, WPI 2

Game #1 Box Score
Game #2 Box Score 

Winter Haven, FL ---  WPI Baseball earned its second doubleheader split of its Florida trip on Monday vs. Pitt-Greensburg in the Russmatt Baseball Central Florida Invitational on Monday. The Engineers picked up an 11-6 victory in game one and dropped a hard-luck decision in game two, dropping a 3-2 decision.

In game one, the Engineers fell behind in the first inning 1-0 on back-to-back doubles off starter Bryan Watkins (Belmont, MA). WPI would rally in the second inning, piecing together a single and two walks to load the bases with one out. Then, with a 2-1 count, catcher Joe Walsh (Weymouth, MA) launched a grand slam to left-center to spark the WPI bench and give the Engineers a 4-1 lead.

They then tacked on three more in the third, the big blow coming off the bat of Scott McNee (Falmouth, MA) with one out, a solo homer to deep center that was his second long ball in two days. WPI would then stage a two-out rally as three straight Engineers would reach base before Jameson Kokolis (Manchester, NH) delivered a two-out single to drive in two and give Watkins a 7-1 cushion to work with.

Pitt-Greensburg tallied three runs in their half of the third, but WPI responded with three of their own in the top of the fourth inning to take a 10-4 lead en route to the 11-6 win. Watkins (1-0) would settle down and toss a complete game for the victory, striking out two in the process. 

Walsh, McNee, Cody McGregor (Westfield, MA) and Ethan Brown (Lunenburg, MA) each had two hits in game one, while McNee scored three runs.

The second game was a pitchers duel, with Sean Minor (Los Angeles, CA) tossing seven strong innings for the Engineers. Minor struck out eight and only gave up one earned run, but found himself on the wrong end of a 3-0 score as WPI headed into its last at-bat.

The Crimson and Gray put together a rally to try to win, as Nick Bean (Middleboro, MA) led off the frame with a double and was driven in by McNee who advanced to third on a fielding error. Mike Swanton (Foxboro, MA) delivered with a sac fly to drive McNee in, bringing WPI to within a run at 3-2 with two outs.  John Flynn (Albion, ME) then walked and Matt Moreau (Manchester, NH) singled, bringing up Ethan Brown who could tie the game with a hit. Brown drove the first pitch deep to right field, but his bid to give the Engineers the walk-off win was snagged at the fence, as Pitt-Greensburg held on 3-2.

Nick Bean and Paul Galligan, the NEWMAC co-Player of the Week, each had three hits in game two, with Galligan boosting his team-leading batting average to .538 on the young season.

WPI will return to the field tomorrow, taking on Wentworth at 3:00pm in Auburndale, FL.

Story written by Ray Cotrufo '98 - WPI Athletics Department