FARMINGDALE, N.Y. - Fifth-seeded Western New England College dropped a 3-1 decision to third-seeded Rensselaer Friday afternoon (May 15) in a winners' bracket game at the NCAA Division III New York Regional Baseball Tournament at the FSC Complex.
The Golden Bears (30-16) get right back to action with an elimination contest against sixth-seeded Clarkson at 3:30 p.m. today.
After banging out 25 hits in a 16-5 win over second-seeded Ithaca on Wednesday, the Golden Bears managed only four hits against four Red Hawks' pitchers.
WNEC also committed three errors, including one in the fifth when RPI scored a pair of unearned runs for a 2-0 lead.
Western New England College scored its only run in the fifth when junior shortstop Justin Walz (Groton, CT) tripled with two outs and scored on a wild pitch. He also singled in the game.
Sophomore pitcher Evan Michaud (Windsor Locks, CT) went 4 1/3 innings and gave up only two hits with two walks and no strikeouts, but saw his record fall to 4-3.
Junior reliver Matt Rogers (Portsmouth, RI) allowed a run in the sixth and allowed only three hits with two strikeouts and a walk in 4 2/3 innings of work.
Junior Andrew Mondo (Clifton Park, NY) (11-2) was the winning pitcher going 5 1/3 innings and giving up just three hits striking out nine and walking one. Sophomore Mike Cieszko (Stevenson Ranch, CA) pitched the final inning to earn his fifth save of the year.
Senior centerfield Sean Wilkes (Troy, NY) had three hits for the Red Hawks.
Rensselaer (33-9), the only undefeated squad in the six-team tournament, will meet the WNEC/Clarkson winner at noon Saturday (May 16).
Tonight at 7:00 p.m., top-seeded Cortland meets fourth-seeded Farmingdale State in another elimination contest.