NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. - The NEC baseball team fell 20-10 on Tuesday to Worcester Polytechnic Institute at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Massachusetts. 

The Engineers scored a season-high in runs in the shortened, seven inning game, jumping out to an early 8-0 lead after three before running the total up to 20 with a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to end the game. 

NEC had a pair of big innings to cut into the WPI lead in the fourth and fifth frames. Graduate Brady Philibotte (Weare, N.H.) led off the fourth with his 15th double of the season, setting a new single-season high and moving into second all-time in program history. He would have two hits on the day, inching closer to the program's all-time hits record. 

After senior Jackson Round (Cayuga, Ont.) reached on an infield single, back-to-back walks scored Philibotte for the 'Grims first run of the game. Two batters later, senior David Spigel (Portsmouth, R.I.) singled home another run, followed by sophomore Chase O'Brien (Nashua, N.H.) whose first hit of the season came in the form of a two-run single. Freshman TJ Hicks (Tampa, Fla.) kept the rally going with an infield single to score Spigel and allowed the 'Grims to bat around in the fourth. Philibotte delivered his second hit of the inning with an RBI single to cap off a six-run frame. 

In the fifth, graduate Tyler Fenton (Wilmington, Mass.) and junior Nick Becker (Portland, Maine) both walked and freshman Tanner Jacko (Tillsonburg, Ont.) wore a hit-by-pitch to load the bases for Spigel. The senior came through with another clutch hit, driving in two more runs with another single to center. Jacko would come around to score on a wild pitch and Spigel would touch home on a single from junior Mike Monteforte (Wilmington, Mass.) before WPI got out of the jam. 

Spigel reached base three times in the game, going 2-for-3 with three runs driven in, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Hicks also reached base thrice, doing damage on the base paths with two stolen bases. Becker was on base three times with his first hit of the season and two walks, scoring twice and netting one RBI. 

The Pilgrims are set to host Wentworth on Thursday at 4:00 PM in another non-conference game at Laurie Cox Memorial Field. 

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