QUINCY, Mass. – Sophomore Mike Roberts’ (Chelmsford, Mass.) RBI single in the top of the seventh innings snapped a 9-all tie and freshman Scott Borges (Westport, Mass.) earned his second save of the season with three innings of one-hit, three strikeout ball as the Wentworth baseball team won its first Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament game since 1999 with a 12-9 win at Eastern Nazarene in an elimination round game played at Bradley Field.

Wentworth’s offense picked up where it had left off in the late innings in Tuesday’s loss to Curry, as freshman Pete Oggeri (Sandy Hook, Conn.) led off with a double to left. He would advance to third when freshman Anthony Carbone (Goshen, Conn.) flew out to center and would score the Leopards’ first run on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Nick Cunningham (Pembroke, Mass.). Sophomore Phil Costello (Medford, Mass.) drew a two-out walk and moved to second on a single to left center by freshman Chris Carbone (Goshen, Conn.). After junior Jarrett Ament (Boylston, Mass.) walked, Roberts delivered an RBI single to center, plating Costello and giving Wentworth a 2-0 lead. Freshman Matt Dannenhoffer (Bethany, Conn.) then drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring Chris Carbone. That walk would chase sophomore starter Justen Smith (Jefferson, Md.) from the game and would bring in junior Matt Maganelli (Charlestown, Mass.), who ended the inning with a strikeout.

The Crusaders chipped away at the deficit by scoring one run in the home half of the inning. With one out, sophomore Dave Dickerson (North Plainfield, N.J.) reached on a two-base error and scored when sophomore Craig Turner (Wrentham, Mass.) laced a double to left center. However, Wentworth sophomore starter Aaron LaPlante (Charlestown, N.H.) got the next two batters to ground out and fly out to end the inning.

After the Leopards did not score in the top of the second, the hosts erupted for six runs on five hits in the bottom of the inning. Junior Jarred Wiedenroth (Swampscott, Mass.) and classmate Matt Baluch (Swansea, Mass.) each reached on singles up the middle to open the inning, followed by sophomore Anthony Swede (New Berlin, Pa.) placing a base hit through the right side to load the bases. A strikeout ensued and senior A.J. Turner (Wrentham, Mass.) followed with a two-run single to tie the game at 3-all. After Dickerson reached on a fielder’s choice to place runners at first and third, Craig Turner was walked to load the bases with two outs. However, the bases would be cleared when senior Brad Mountain (Cape May, N.J.) belted his first home run of the season, a grand slam to right that put Eastern Nazarene up 7-3.

The third and fourth innings would be quiet in terms of scoring, but the visitors would use a six-run inning—with all the runs being unearned—to take a 9-7 lead. Anthony Carbone would lead off by reaching on an error and moved to second when Cunningham singled to center. Costello followed by reaching on a fielder’s choice, where Cunningham would be safe at second on an error, and with no outs Wentworth has the bases loaded. Chris Carbone walked to plate his brother and Cunningham scored when Ament singled to center. Roberts would reach on a fielder’s choice, which would score Costello and bring the Leopards to within 7-6. After Roberts stole second, Dannenhoffer walked to load the bases again. Senior Brent Grenier (Oxford, Maine) laid down a sacrifice bunt to the first-base side, which tied the game at 7-all when Chris Carbone scored. Oggeri then delivered a two-run single to give Wentworth a 9-7 lead. He would steal second, and try to advance to third on the catcher’s overthrow, but was nailed at third to end the inning.

Trailing by a pair going into the last of the sixth, Eastern Nazarene would tie the game, with some help from a pair of Wentworth defensive miscues. A.J. Turner would reach on an error with one out and would move to second on a Dickerson, who came in to pitch in the top of the sixth, single. Craig Turner walked to load the bases and Mountain would reach on an error, which scored Dickerson and A.J. Turner. LaPlante got his final two batters of the game to pop out and fly out, ending the hopes of the hosts taking the lead.

Chris Carbone opened the top of the seventh with an infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Ament. Roberts then delivered the go-ahead run with a single to right, which scored Chris Carbone, and gave Wentworth a 10-9 lead.

Borges came on in the last of the seventh and left Swede, who he hit by a pitch, in scoring position. After Wentworth went quietly in the eighth, he would give up a hit in the home half of the inning to Craig Turner, but got the next two batters out to hold the lead at one run.

Costello and Chris Carbone each hit infield singles to open the ninth inning and each moved up 90 feet on a balk. Ament would drive in Costello with a sacrifice fly and Chris Carbone would score when Roberts drove in his fourth run of the game with a one out single.

With a three-run lead to protect in the bottom of the ninth, Borges induced two groundouts to short and a flyout to left to end the game.

LaPlante improved to 6-1 on the year, despite allowing nine runs (six earned) on 11 hits, walking two and striking out five. He threw 104 pitches over six innings, 61 for strikes. Borges allowed one hit, hit one batter, and struck out three batters in three innings to earn his second save in a week and in the process, tying the school record for saves in a season. Offensively, Roberts was 3-for-5 with four RBI, while Chris Carbone was 3-for-4 with four runs scored. Oggeri and Cunningham each had two hits, while Oggeri and Ament drove in a pair of runs each.

Dickerson takes the loss (4-3), allowing three runs on five hits and striking out one in four innings of work. Smith lasted just two-thirds of an inning, allowing three runs on three hits, and walking three batters. Maganelli allowed six unearned runs on four hits and three strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work. Craig Turner was 3-for-3, while Dickerson, Wiedenroth, and Swede each had a pair of hits. Mountain, who closed out his outstanding career for the Crusaders, drove in five runs.

With the win, Wentworth improves to 13-17 and travels to Roger Williams on Friday in an elimination round game at 3:00. The Hawks were defeated by top-seeded Curry, 3-2. Eastern Nazarene ends its season at 18-14.

Wentworth 12, Eastern Nazarene 9 (May 02, 2007 at Quincy, Mass.)
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Wentworth........... 300 060 102 - 12 12 3 (13-17)
Eastern Nazarene.... 160 002 000 - 9 12 2 (18-14)
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Wentworth - Aaron LaPlante, Scott Borges (7) and Pete Oggeri; Eastern Nazarene - Justen Smith, Matt Maganelli (1), Dave Dickerson, (6) and Craig Turner.
Win-LaPlante (6-1), Loss-Dickerson (4-3), Save-Borges (2); T-2:35, A-200
HR ENC - Brad Mountain (1).
Game notes:
2007 Commonwealth Coast Conference Baseball Tournament (Elimination Game); Wentworth wins first playoff game since 1999 season