MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - La Roche baseball opened play on Sunday at the Ripken Experience during the Spring Break trip, but it was a pair of close losses to open the time at the beach, falling to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in both matchups.
GAME ONE: WPI 6 LA ROCHE 4
La Roche battled until the final out but couldn't overcome early mistakes, falling 6–4 to WPI in a seven-inning contest.
The Redhawks finished with eight hits and nine walks, showing patience at the plate, but defensive miscues early allowed WPI to build a lead that proved difficult to erase.
WPI struck first in the opening inning when a wild pitch allowed a run to score, giving the home team a 1–0 advantage. The second inning proved costly for La Roche. WPI capitalized on a series of defensive errors and timely hitting, scoring three runs in the frame to extend the lead to 4–0.
Despite the early deficit, La Roche slowly chipped away.
First baseman Aaron Exler sparked the offense in the fourth inning with a base hit and eventually scored when Liam Burns drove a double into right field, putting La Roche on the board and trimming the deficit to 4–1.
WPI answered in the bottom of the inning with an RBI double, but the Redhawks refused to go away. In the fifth, Chase Sankovich reached and later scored when Burns delivered again, lining an RBI single to right to make it 5–2.
Burns had a standout day at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with three RBIs, accounting for most of La Roche's offense.
On the mound, Jimmy Roe helped stabilize things for the Redhawks after entering in relief. Roe worked 3.1 innings, allowing just three hits while striking out two and keeping La Roche within striking distance.
Trailing 6–2 entering the final inning, the Redhawks mounted one last push. Jordan Sullivan doubled and later scored during the rally, and Burns delivered his third RBI of the game with another single to right. Moments later, DJ Loveland worked a bases-loaded walk to bring La Roche within 6–4.
Brady Angus added two hits for La Roche, while Exler scored twice and Jordan Sullivan contributed a double in the late rally.
GAME TWO: WPI 5 LA ROCHE 3
La Roche outhit WPI but couldn't overcome a late surge, falling 5–3 in a tightly contested seven-inning matchup.
The Redhawks finished with 11 hits, but a three-run double in the final inning by WPI proved to be the difference.
La Roche struck first in the second inning. After Jared Hough reached and moved into scoring position, Jamison Rhoades delivered a clutch single to left field that brought home Chase Sankovich, giving the Redhawks an early 1–0 lead.
Starting pitcher Ethan Raver kept WPI quiet through the first four innings, limiting damage and working efficiently on the mound. However, WPI broke through in the fifth inning. A double by Camden Willems tied the game, and a run-scoring single from Jacob Wiberg put WPI ahead 2–1.
La Roche answered quickly in the bottom half of the inning. Jordan Sullivan, who had a strong day at the plate, reached base and eventually came around to score when Kade Sell ripped a double to left-center field, evening the score at 2–2.
The game remained tied heading into the seventh, but WPI capitalized on a late opportunity. With runners on base, Greyson Baldizar drove a double into the gap in left-center, bringing home three runs to give WPI a 5–2 advantage.
La Roche attempted one final rally in the bottom of the seventh. Chase Sankovich reached and moved into scoring position before Logan Badac lined a single to right field, scoring Jordan Sullivan and trimming the deficit to 5–3. However, the comeback fell short as WPI recorded the final out to secure the win.
Offensively, La Roche received strong performances throughout the lineup. Jordan Sullivan went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Liam Burns added two hits, including a double. Jared Hough also collected two hits, and Sankovich reached base twice and scored.
On the mound, Ethan Raver worked 4.1 solid innings, allowing two runs while keeping the Redhawks in control early. Josh Cayer took the loss after pitching the final 2.2 innings.