University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Connecticut
Baseball Topped By UConn, 8-5
May 08, 2007 | Baseball
May 8, 2007
AMHERST, Mass. - Two home runs, and the five runs scored off them, led the UConn Huskies (23-23) to an 8-5 victory over UMass (18-21) on Tuesday afternoon at Earl Lorden Field. A two-run homer by Dennis Donovan in the seventh and a three-run shot by Matt Karl in the ninth were the decisive blows in what was a back and forth game. Ryan Walczak (Taunton, Mass.; 0-3) took the loss, pitching 2 1/3 innings and giving up two runs. Mitchell Eilenberg (Brooklyn, NY) started on the mound for UMass and took a no-decision. Bryan Adamski (South Deerfield, Mass.) paced the offense, going 3-5 with a home run, two doubles, and three RBI.
Ted Garry (2-4) pitched two innings of relief for UConn to earn the victory. Closer Matt Karl pitched the ninth for his eighth save.
Second baseman Adam Tempesta (Brockton, Mass.) was 4-5 and scored a run for UMass. Jim Cassidy (Medway, Mass.) and Bryan Garrity (Peabody, Mass.) each had two hits and scored. Garrity and Travis Munsey (Durham, NH) each drove in runs.
UMass jumped on UConn starter Erik Turgeon early. A two-out single by Tempesta set the stage for Adamksi's towering blast to left-center, his fourth of the year, giving UMass a 2-0 lead after one frame.
The Minutemen also scored two runs in the sixth inning. Garrity's one-out single up the middle scored Adamski, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Garrity scored later in the inning on a two-out Munsey single.
Eilenberg pitched well for the Minutemen, not allowing an earned run until the seventh. With the help of errors, UConn scored two unearned runs in the second and another in the fifth. The sophomore right-hander finally ran into trouble when he hit two batters in the seventh. He looked like he might get out of the jam when he picked off the lead runner at second, but Donovan's home run to left-center followed, putting UConn up 5-4.
The Minutemen came right back in the bottom half of the inning. After singling, Cassidy went first to third on a single to right by Tempesta, giving the home team men on the corners with one out. That is when Adamski, already with a home run and a double, blasted a ball down the leftfield line for another double, scoring Cassidy and tying the game. Garry was able to induce a ground ball and pop out to end the inning.
After retiring the lead off batter in the ninth, Walczak gave up a double and walk. UMass then brought in Chris Lloyd. It was then that Karl sent a drive over the leftfield fence to put UConn up for good, 8-5.
UMass is back in action Tuesday, hitting the road for a 3 p.m. game at Northeastern.
