Cambridge, Mass. - March 31, 2018 - Playing in its longest game since 2003, the Springfield College baseball team dropped a dramatic, 17-inning 6-5 setback to MIT on Saturday afternoon in the first game of a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader.  In the second contest, MIT grabbed a 6-4 lead with two runs in the bottom of the eighth before the game was halted due to darkness. The game will be completed at a date to be announced.

Springfield hadn't lost in its last eight outings and now stands at 13-4-2, 3-1 in conference play. 

In the opener, the Pride got on the board with a single run in the top of the third as Brandon Russo (Lisbon, Conn.) singled through the left side, stole second and later scored on a Jack Cooney (Pittsfield, Mass.) single through the left side for the 1-0 edge. MIT answered in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out rally to tie the game at 1-1, as Matt Johnston (Portola Valley, Calif.) singled through the left side and moved to second on a passed ball before scoring on a slow-rolling double to right center by Max Lancaster (Attleboro, Mass.).

Both teams scored in the fifth inning as Cooney reached on an error and later scored on a double down the left field line, while MIT's Kyler Kocher (Mesa, Ariz.) came in on a two-out bloop single to left center from junior Jared Schwait (Boca Raton, Fla.).

The Engineers loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth before Brian Johnson (East Haddam, Conn.) induced an inning-ending double play. The Pride did the same in the top of the seventh before Lancaster caught a liner and doubled up a runner off first to end the threat.

The score remained that way until the 12th inning when the Pride took the 3-2 edge in the top of the inning. Mark Joao (Wappinger Falls, N.Y.) reached on a one-out walk, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error before scoring on an RBI single through the left side by Noah Bleakley (Granby, Mass.). Johnston preserved the margin at just one run though as he threw Bleakley out at the plate attempting to make it a two-run game.  In the bottom of the inning, Zach Roberts (West Chester, Pa.) led off with a walk that led to a pitching change for the Pride. Ethan Rolland (Burke, Va.) tried to sacrifice bunt Roberts over, but a throwing error put two runners on with no outs for MIT. Schwait moved the runners over on a sacrifice before Roberts scored on another throwing error to tie the game at 3-3.

Both teams had chances over the next four innings, including in the 16 as MIT's Schwait made an incredible diving play in deep center to get Joao for the third out. The Pride did strike for two runs in the top of the seventh as Bleakley led off with a double into the right field corner and Jake Gleason (South Dennis, Mass.) reached on a walk. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position, Tommy Hannan (San Marino, Calif.) came on in relief for the Engineers. Catcher Peter Marsicano (Allentown, N.J.) greeted the rookie with a two-RBI single up the middle that put the visitors up 5-3.

However, in the bottom of the 17th, Schwait led off with a walk and Garrett Greenwood (Edmond, Okla.) doubled to left center. Duncan Satterlee (Albany, N.Y.) came on to pitch for Springfield and David Heller (Fair Lawn, N.J.) singled to right center to tie the game up at 5-5 with two RBI. Lancaster followed that with a double to left center to score Heller and set off the MIT walkoff celebration.

For the Pride, four players had multiple hits including Russo at 4-for-8 and Marsicano going 3-for-8 with two RBI. On the mound, Johnson went seven strong with six hits and two runs and four strikeouts, while Cole Donovan (Holderness, N.H.) threw four innings and Jack Weinberger (Sunapee, N.H.) went 4.1 innings before giving way to Satterlee.

In the second contest, the Pride took an early 1-0 lead on a Chad Shade (Pittsfield, Mass.) run after he reached on a leadoff single to center. MIT countered with a run in the bottom of the second as Lancaster came home on a single up the middle on a hit and run by Alec Kushner (Cooper City, Fla.).

Springfield used three hits and an MIT error to take a 4-1 lead in the third as Shade scored on a Joao single, Cooney cross the plate after a wild pitch, and Jason Bean (Middleboro, Mass.) ripped a single to left to score Joao.  The Engineers cut the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth on a run from Johnston and later tied things up with a pair or unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh by Rolland and Kushner that made the score 4-4.

In the eighth, Johnston scored on a single off the left field wall from Kushner to take the 5-4 lead and Lancaster later scored on a double play for the 6-4 margin before the game was halted.