Game 1: Beloit (WI) 6, WPI 4
Game 2: Beloit (WI) 8, WPI 4

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score 

Winter Haven, FL --- WPI Baseball dropped a doubleheader against Beloit (WI) 6-4 and 8-4 on Friday afternoon at the Russmatt Baseball Central Florida Invitational in Winter Haven, Florida. The Engineers fell to 3-5 on the season, while the Buccaneers raised their record to 5-2.

In the opener, WPI started the game quickly, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. The Engineers loaded the bases on a single, walk and hit batsman to start the inning. The Crimson and Gray would then plate two runs on a fielding error and a third on an RBI sacrifice fly by Mike Swanton (Foxboro, MA). Beloit would score single runs in the first and second innings before taking the lead in the third, as two Buccaneers crossed the plate via three singles and a sac fly off WPI starter Ryan Marques (Gloucester, MA), giving Beloit a 4-3 lead.

Marques (0-1) would then surrender a leadoff double in the fifth before being lifted for Kyle Boucher (Manchester, NH), who allowed two RBI doubles in the inning as Beloit extended their advantage to 6-3. WPI pieced together a rally in the sixth, getting a run on Scott McNee's (Falmouth, MA) third solo home run of the year.  Nick Bean (Middleboro, MA) followed McNee with a single and Ethan Brown (Lunenburg, MA) with a double before the rally fell short, leaving the score at 6-4. McNee paced the WPI offense in game one, going 2-for-2 with two runs scored.

The Bucs' closer came on and retired the Engineers in order in the seventh to secure the game one win.

In game two, WPI would once again jump out to a 3-0 lead in support of starter Conor Fahey (Cumberland, RI). McNee was hit by a pitch and stole second to lead off the second inning, scoring after back-to-back singles from John Flynn (Albion, ME) and Matt Moreau (Manchester, NH). Moreau and Flynn would then engineer a double steal, with Flynn taking second and Moreau stealing home en route to a 2-0 lead. Catcher Joe Walsh (Weymouth, MA) then delivered Flynn with an RBI single to right to stake Fahey to a 3-0 advantage.

Fahey (0-1) kept the Buccaneers at bay until the fifth, allowing an unearned run but still clinging to a 3-1 lead. He would not be as fortunate in the sixth, as Beloit rallied for five runs on seven hits in the inning, all coming with two outs. Beloit would build on their 6-3 lead in the seventh off Thomas Whiting (Farmington Hills, MI), who surrendered a two-run triple with two outs that extended Beloit's lead to 8-3. The Engineers added a run in the bottom of the seventh on a Paul Galligan (Weymouth, MA) RBI groundout, but were unable to come back to tie the score.

Fahey did not walk a batter and struck out seven, but suffered his first defeat of the season.

WPI Baseball is back in action in nearby Auburndale on Saturday, when they will face in-state rival UMass Dartmouth in a doubleheader at 9:30am. The games vs. the Corsairs will be the Engineers' last on their Florida trip before heading to Rhode Island to take on Johnson and Wales on Tuesday March 17th. 

Story written by Ray Cotrufo '98 - WPI Athletics Department