Washington, D.C. – The Stevens Institute of Technology baseball team fell 6-5 to Montclair State University on Saturday in game two of the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy Jamboree.
Garret Wolf and
Jackson Wein homered for Stevens (4-3), but Danny O'Brien delivered a bases-loaded walk-off single in the ninth to lift Montclair (4-1).
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Red Hawks struck first in their opening at-bat, as a leadoff triple came around to score on a groundout. Stevens put runners in scoring position in both the second and third innings but came up empty.
David Finch settled in during the fourth, retiring the side and recording a pair of swinging strikeouts.
Montclair added an unearned run in the fifth, though further damage was avoided when a runner was thrown out attempting to stretch a single into a double. Stevens answered in the sixth, evening the game with a two-run frame. E.J. Balewitz Jr. worked a leadoff walk and, after two outs, Wolf launched his second home run of the spring over the left-field fence. The tie was short-lived, as Montclair responded with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth.
Evan Carrier entered in the seventh and worked out of trouble, stranding runners on first and second with two outs by inducing a flyout to center.
Stevens regained momentum in the eighth.
Chip Krese opened the inning with a double to center and Balewitz Jr. followed with an RBI single to tie the game at three.
Griffin Zitko singled to put runners on the corners, and after pinch-runner
Luke Mahala stole second, Wolf lifted a sacrifice fly to center, giving the Ducks a 4-3 lead. Wein extended the advantage in the ninth, crushing a one-out solo home run to center for his first collegiate long ball. Montclair mounted a rally in the final frame, capitalizing on a throwing error that allowed two runs to score and tie the game. Following an intentional walk, O'Brien ended the contest with a walk-off single to left.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Wein finished 2-for-4 with his first career home run.
- Finch tossed six innings, striking out a career-high nine in a no-decision.
- Balewitz Jr. scored twice and added a single and an RBI.
UP NEXT
The Ducks wrap up the Jamboree on Sunday, facing No. 9 Salve Regina at 11:00 a.m.