CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – On Thursday afternoon, the Worcester State University baseball team snapped MIT's nine-game winning streak as junior pitcher Ryan Belinskas (Worcester, Mass.) allowed just one Engineer run on five hits and struck out eight at the plate.
THE BASICS
April 12, 2018
Fran O'Brien Field
Score: Worcester State 5, MIT 1
Records: Worcester State (8-16) | MIT (13-6)
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Both pitchers started off strong as the game remained scoreless through the first four innings. The Engineers had runners in scoring position in three of the first four innings, but were kept off the scoreboard each time by the pitching of Belinskas.
Freshman Travis Hank (Chicago, Ill.) came on in the fifth in relief of MIT starter Zeke Long (Albuquerque, N.M.) and the Lancers struck for two runs in the inning. Sam Allen (Springfield, Mass.) doubled to left with one out and moved to third on a passed ball before scoring on a Ben Palatino (Hudson, Mass.) single through the first side. Palatino also scored later in the inning for the 2-0 edge.
The score remained at 2-0 until Worcester State put the game out of reach with three runs in the eighth that extended the lead to 5-0. The Lancers used four stolen bases and a walk to key the inning that included a two-RBI single to right center by Jake Breton (Wilbraham, Mass.). MIT pushed a run across in the bottom of the ninth as freshman Andrew Krause (St. Louis, Mo.) scored on a fielding error before Belinskas induced a groundout to close out the 5-1 final.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Belinskas improved to 1-2 in a complete-game performance, scattering five hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.
- Breton was 2-for-5 with two RBI for the Lancers, while Palatino scored twice and drew three walks.
- MIT was led by a 2-for-4 performance by senior Garrett Greenwood (Edmond, Okla.) as he has now reached base safely in every game this year and has an eight-game hit streak.
- Hank took the loss to fall to 0-1 as he allowed two runs on three hits with three strikeouts after long struck out five in four scoreless innings by Long.
UP NEXT
Worcester State will rest tomorrow and matchup against Framingham State on Saturday (Apr. 14) in a MASCAC doubleheader, beginning at 12 noon.
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Release Courtesy of MIT Sports Information