BROOKLINE, Mass. – Junior Chris Sandini pitched a complete game, four-hit shutout, while striking out 10 as the Wentworth baseball team defeated Nichols, 9-0, in the first game of a scheduled The Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader at Northeastern University's Friedman Diamond.  Mother Nature earned the win in the nightcap, as rain forced the game's postponement.

The Bison threatened in their first at bat as sophomore Joshua Clark (Brunswick, Maine) hit a one-out single to left center and went to second when junior Al Montalto (Wilmington, Mass.) walked.  After a lineout, sophomore George Sergi (Blackston, Mass.) grounded to third to end the threat.

Wentworth got all the runs it would need in the fourth inning, scoring four times by way of two triples and two singles, all coming with no outs.  Freshman Conner Flisnik led off the inning by lacing a triple to left center on the first pitch he saw and scored on a senior Nick Cunningham single to left.  Sophomore Ben Danker singled up the middle to put runners at first and second before junior Doug Papuga delivered a deep triple to right center, scoring both runners.  The lead increased to 4-0 when junior Anthony Carbone delivered a one-out sacrifice fly to center that would score Papuga.

An inning later the Leopards put three more on the board when junior Pete Oggeri tripled to center on the first pitch he saw and scored on an RBI single from sophomore Jake McManus. After Flisnik was hit by a pitch, McManus would score and Flisnik would move to third when Cunningham reached on a two-base error.  Cunningham moved to third on a wild pitch and scored Wentworth's seventh run of the day on a groundout by Papuga.

The Leopards plated two more in the sixth when Carbone, who led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a sophomore Mike Diodato single, scored when Oggeri grounded out.  Flisnik would drive in Diodato with a single.

Sandini was outstanding in picking up his fourth straight win and second consecutive shutout.  Six of his 10 strikeouts came in a seven-batter span, including setting down the side in the fifth inning. During those six strikeouts he threw a total of 20 pitches.  He would walk two batters.  The win improves his record to 5-1 and lowers his ERA to 1.64 overall, while improving to 4-0 with a 0.67 ERA in conference games.  At the plate McManus and Flisnik each picked up two hits while Papuga drove in three runs.

Junior Joe Atchue (Grafton, Mass.) took the loss for the Bison, as he fell to 2-3, allowing seven runs (six earned) on seven hits while striking out three in five innings of work.  Clark had two of the Bison's four hits, going 2-for-3 on the day.

Rain began falling in the fifth inning and picked up in intensity during the break between the two games.  After waiting through a 56-minute rain delay prior to the start of game two, the game was postponed.  It is tentatively scheduled to be made up on Tuesday, April 14, at a time and site to be determined.

The win improves Wentworth's record to 19-6-1 overall and 8-2-1 in league play.  Winners of four in a row the Leopards host Gordon in a TCCC doubleheader Monday at Noon, at Northeastern.  Nichols falls to 11-13 overall and 6-7 in conference play.  The Bison will be back in action on Tuesday against Wentworth or on Thursday at Worcester State.

Story courtesy Wentworth Sports Information

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