Cambridge, Mass. - April 5, 2017 - For the first time since 2010, the Springfield College baseball team won its New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC)-opening contest, as the Pride defeated MIT, 6-5, at Fran O'Brien Field on Wednesday afternoon.

With the win, the Pride is now 7-5 overall, and 1-0 in the NEWMAC, while MIT falls to 8-5 on the season and 3-2 in league play. Springfield College opened the 2010 season with a 4-1 win over Wheaton College, marking the last time the Pride won its conference opener.

Springfield College was led by a pair of impressive pitching performances, as Tyler Kelly (Alexandria, Va.) picked up his first win of the year, pitching 5.0 innings, giving up seven hits while striking out four, before Jack Weinberger (Sunapee, N.H.) came in to pitch 4.0 innings, giving up just three hits and also striking out four to pick up the save.

At the plate, Colin King (Berlin, Conn.) registered three hits and an RBI in five at bats in the lead off spot, while Peter Marsicano (Allentown, N.J.) also notched three hits, and led the Pride with two RBI in the win.

After two scoreless innings, Springfield College took a 1-0 lead when Mark Joao (Wappinger Falls, N.Y.) singled through the right side, scoring King, before MIT countered with two runs in the bottom half of the frame to make it 2-1, Engineers. 

The Pride went to work in the top of the fourth, as Marsicano flied out to center, but Chad Shade (Pittsfield, Mass.) tagged up and trotted home to even the score at two, before King singled to center, plating Marsicano. Later in the inning, Nick LeDuc (Belchertown, Mass.) scored on a balk to make it 4-2, Pride.

Springfield College pushed its lead to four in the top of the fifth when Shade singled to right, scoring Jake Gleason (South Dennis, Mass.), before Marsicano drove in his second run of the day, a single to right center which allowed Shade to come in from third.

MIT picked up two runs in the bottom of the fifth and one in the bottom of the eighth, but Weinberger held tough and picked up the final three outs in the ninth to preserve the win.

Next up, Springfield College will return to Berry-Allen Field on Thursday, April 6 when it will host Southern Vermont in non-conference action at 3:30 p.m.