Oswego Sports Information Department

GORHAM, Me. – The second-seeded Oswego State baseball team lost its first game of the Southern Maine Regional against Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) despite nearly erasing a four-run deficit in the ninth inning. Oswego had the tying run at second with two outs in the final frame but a bang-bang play at first went to the Engineers to close the contest.

THE BASICS

• Result: MIT 5, Oswego 4
• Location: Ed Flaherty Field – University of Southern Maine
• Records: Oswego 29-13  |  MIT 23-17-1

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Trailing 5-1 in its final at-bat, Brandon Nicholsonwalked with one out to start a rally. Making his way to second on the second out and taking third on catcher's indifference, Ryan Weiss knocked a single to left to make it a 5-2 margin.
• In a pinch-hit appearance, Jonathan Luppens reached first by a hit-by-pitch, pushing Justin Troelstra to second after the junior pinch ran for Weiss. Both runners than moved on a passed ball, bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of Rocco Leone.
• Leone worked into the count and eventually fought off a pitch that floated over the third baseman's head for a two-RBI double.
• With the top of the order up, Paul Tammaro worked a full count and hit a grounder deep in the hole at short. The MIT shortstop quickly threw the ball across his body, respecting Tammaro's speed. In a bang-bang play at first, the umpire ruled Tammaro out to end the game.
• MIT struck first in the top of the second frame, as the lead-off batter wrapped a home run around the left-field foul pole. A walk, stolen base and a two-out single down the right-field line produced a second run for a 2-0 Engineer advantage.
• Oswego quickly cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of that frame. With one out and the bases loaded, Leone dropped a ball in front of the right fielder, plating Nick Chilson. Unfortunately, with confusion on whether Leone's ball was caught, a Laker runner was put out at third and the next batter flew out to deep center to end the threat.
• The Laker defense came together to hold MIT in the fourth after a lead-off double and a balk placed a runner on third with no outs.
• Weiss made a diving stop towards the first-base bag, hopped to his feet and checked the runner back to third before putting the batter out. The next batter grounded to Ryan Enos at third and the sophomore caught the runner breaking for home, throwing to Lukas Olsson for the second out. Oswego's final out came as Nolan picked off the runner 1-3-6 to finish unscathed in the fourth.
• In the fifth, the Engineers tacked on another run with an infield single, two-base error and a sacrifice fly to extend their margin to two at 3-1. Tammaro nearly stopped the chance before it started, covering a good amount of ground in the hole and making a diving stop, but a stumble as he popped up made the throw just late.
• MIT added another insurance run in the eighth as Nolan allowed a seeing-eye single and a base knock to left before he was relieved by Jake Jacobs. Jacobs worked masterfully around the two-on, no-out situation, allowing just one run as a ball that trickled down the third-base line stayed fair to score an Engineer runner.
• Nolan's record goes to 6-2 with a loss that included eight strikeouts and just three earned runs in seven innings of work. Jacobs completed the game, scattering two hits while fanning two Engineer batters.
• Weiss had two hits for the Lakers while Enos, Nicholson, Leone and Mike Dellicarri each had one. Leone finished with a game-high three RBI.

WHAT'S NEXT

Oswego will face host and top-seeded University of Southern Maine at 12 p.m. on Saturday in an elimination game. The Huskies fell 10-2 to New England College in Friday's first game. Oswego will be the home team in the game per NCAA protocol, as the Lakers won a coin flip against Southern Maine following the conclusion of Friday's contests.