Worcester, Mass. - April 16, 2022 - The Springfield College baseball team a twinbill with WPI on Saturday afternoon, producing a 6-3 victory in the opener before dropping the third game of the series, 15-13, in the second outing.

Noah Bleakley (Granby, Mass.) finished game one with a 2-for-5 effort, knocking in three runs and scoring another pair in the 6-3 win for Springfield (13-15, 5-4). Cole Zalegowski (North Haven, Conn.) came into game two  and finished with a 3-for-4 knocking in one run and scoring a pair. For WPI, Jacob Hand (Niskayuna, N.Y.) finished the day with a six hit effort going 6-for-9 on the day with six RBI and three runs scored for the Engineers (12-13, 2-7 NEWMAC) while Dylan Connors (Westboro, Mass.) finished with a 4-for-9 day and Andrew Brooks (Millis, Mass.) was 3-for-7 with four RBI and two runs scored. 

For WPI, Andrew Dupuis (Raymond, N.H.) started game one pitching 6.1 innings and allowing three runs on eight hits while Noah Pins (Holden, Mass.) picked up the loss allowing the game-winner to score in the eighth inning. Jack DeGirolamo (Newington, Conn.) picked up the game one win for Springfield, his fourth of the season. In game two, Ryan Malkowski (Hubbardston, Mass.) picked up the victory, pitching the fourth, fifth and sixth innings of relief while Joseph Peregrim (Watervilet, N.Y.) earned the save, his first of the year. 

WPI got out to a two run lead in game one in the second inning, but Springfield evened the score later in the game in the top of the sixth. Both teams netted a run in the seventh, and Springfield went on to tally the ultimate game-winner as Joe Traversa (Pittsfield, Mass.) got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to walk in the game-winner. Bleakley added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth as he went deep to solidify the victory. 

Game two saw a lot more offense as the two teams combined for 27 hits and 28 runs. 

Springfield started things off with a three run top of the second as back-to-back singles from Noah Diamond (Glastonbury, Conn.) and Michael Barrett (Longmeadow, Mass.) brought home a trio of runs. But the Engineers countered in the bottom half of the inning bringing home eight runs via seven hits and a pair of walks. 

The scoring got started as Gavin George (Salem, N.H.) got hit by a pitch to drive home the first run of the day. J Brennan (Amsterdam, N.Y.) and Hand recorded back-to-back singles to right field to bring home three more runs, followed by a three-run homer from Brooks to make it a 7-3 game. Danny Johnson (Mendon, Mass.) capped off the inning, singling through the left side in his second at bat of the frame to drive in the eighth run. 

Springfield got a pair back in the third after a two RBI triple from Jack Cooney (Pittsfield, Mass.), but Hand answered with an inside-the-park homerun to make the Engineer lead four. Another Hand hit brought home another Engineer run in the fifth inning to make it a 10-5 ballgame. 

Springfield added one in the sixth and three in the top of the eighth to get the Pride within one, 10-9, following three run-scoring singles, but WPI responded with a five-run bottom of the eighth inning. A Connors single to left center drove in the first run, a Tommy Burns (Morris Plains, N.J.) single to left centerfield brought home another pair and Andrew Cash (Marlboro, Mass.) brought home another two with a single through the left side to bring home Burns and Fraser to build the buffer WPI needed to come away with the win.   Springfield went down fighting, adding four runs in the top of the ninth, but its rally would fall short.

Springfield will return to action against Emerson at the New England Baseball Complex in Northboro, Tuesday at 3:30pm.

For the latest on Springfield College Athletics, follow the Pride on social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Springfield "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.