WPI 8, Fitchburg State 5

Box Score

Worcester, MA --- Scott McNee (Falmouth, MA) had three hits and belted a three-run walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, leading WPI to a thrilling 8-5 victory over Fitchburg State in non-conference baseball action on Monday afternoon. The win boosts WPI's record to 23-11 on the season. Fitchburg State slips to 18-16 with the loss.

The blast was McNee's team-leading seventh homer of the season. The senior, with five RBI on the afternoon, also leads the club with 29 runs batted in.

The Engineers jumped out in front early in the game. With one out in the WPI first, shortstop Paul Galligan (Weymouth, MA) singled to left, followed by a double down the right field line from Matt Moreau (Manchester, NH). McNee then produced an RBI groundout for a 1-0 lead. Moreau would later score on a wild pitch for a 2-0 WPI advantage.

Fitchburg State overcame WPI's early scoring, taking a 3-2 lead with a three-run barrage in the fourth. Brian Ware (Beverly, MA) led off by reaching on a fielding error and, with one out, stole second to get into scoring position. Kris Breen (Griswold, CT) followed with a single down the line in right, scoring Ware and cutting the WPI lead in half. Ricky Graham (Walpole, MA) was hit by a pitch before a John Davison (Stoneham, MA) ground-rule double plated Breen and tied the game at two. Will Comerford (Ayer, MA) drove in the Falcons' third run with an infield single that scored Graham with the lead run.

WPI retook the lead in the sixth, scoring two runs on bases-loaded walks from Cody McGregor (Westifield, MA) and Jameson Kokolis (Manchester, NH) after three straight singles from Moreau, McNee and Nick Bean (Middleboro, MA) filled the basepaths. The Falcons responded with two runs in the seventh, as Davison led off the frame with a double and scored on a two-base throwing error resulting from a Comerford sacrifice bunt attempt, making the score 4-4. Comerford later scored on a passed ball, giving Fitchburg State a 5-4 lead.

WPI tied the score in the bottom of the frame, as Moreau doubled to left and McNee drove him in with a single through the left side, tying the score once again and setting up his ninth inning heroics.

McNee, the leading hitter on the Engineers with a .376 average coming into the game, also scored two runs for the Engineers in support of starting pitcher Conor Fahey (Cumberland, RI), who tossed a complete game seven-hitter, striking out seven and not allowing an earned run. Fahey improved his record to 7-1 on the year and has only allowed one earned run over his last 41 innings pitched.  He came up clutch in the top of the eighth when, following a leadoff triple by Andy Sauer (Willington, CT), he retired the next three batters to extinguish to threat and strand Sauer on third.  

Moreau also had a big day at the plate for WPI, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored. Galligan also had a multi-hit day to his credit, with two hits and two runs.

Mike Scaramellino (Dover Plains, NY) took the loss for the Falcons in relief of starter Jake Barbarotta (Pittsfield, MA), who went the first 5 2/3 innings. Scaramellino is now 0-1 on the year. Davison and Sauer each had 2-for-4 days at the plate for Fitchburg State in the loss. Sophomore shortstop John Phelan's (Walpole, MA) single to center in the fifth inning tied the Falcons' record for hits in a season with 54.

WPI will wrap up its regular season home schedule on Tuesday, when it hosts Elms at 4pm. Fitchburg State will finish up its regular season on May 4th at MIT at 4:00pm.

Story by Ray Cotrufo '98 - WPI Sports Information