Minutemen Drop Second Game To #1 Arizona State, 13-4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
UMass Minutemen	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	7	3
Arizona State	0	0	0	1	2	1	0	9	X	13	14	1

UMass Minutemen

Arizona State

March 9, 2008

TEMPE, Ariz. - For the second-straight night, UMass (0-2) jumped out to an early lead on #1 Arizona State (11-0), but fell victim to another big eighth inning by the Sun Devils and fell, 13-4, on Saturday night at Packard Stadium. Bryan Leigh (Somerset, Mass.) pitched 5 2/3 innings for UMass, allowing three earned runs on eight hits and striking out seven. Aaron Smith (Westfield, Mass.) (0-1) gave up five runs in relief to take the loss, as ASU scored nine runs in the eighth inning to take over what was a tied ballgame. Jim Macdonald (Cheshire, Conn.) and Mike Donato (East Hartford, Conn.) had big nights at the plate for UMass, each going 2-4 with two RBI. First baseman Ike Davis went 4-5 for ASU, hitting two home runs and driving in three runs before coming in to pitch 1/3 of an inning to pick up the win.

Andrew Black (Baltimore, Md.) and Kyle Multner (Peabody, Mass.) reached on a walk and a hit by pitch to start off the game for the Minutemen. After both advanced on a groundout, Macdonald singled to left field to drive in two runs. Macdonald advanced to third on a throwing error and later scored on a Donato RBI single to left to give the Minutemen an early 3-0 lead and chase ASU starter Seth Blair after just 2/3 of an inning.

The Sun Devils finally were able to get to Leigh in the fourth inning when Davis hit a solo home run to left-center, just the third hit by an ASU batter up to that point. The Sun Devils pieced together two runs in the fifth on two hits and an error to tie the game at three each and then took the lead in the sixth with one run off three hits.

In the top of the eighth, Adam Tempesta (Brockton, Mass.) singled up the middle and advanced to second Macdonald's infield single. Donato followed up with a single through the left side, plating Tempesta and tying the game, 4-4.

In the bottom half of the inning, for the second time in as many nights, the Sun Devils blew open a close game with an eighth inning barrage. ASU batters used six hits, and two UMass errors to pile on nine runs in the inning. Davis hit his second homer of the game in the inning, as UMass used three different pitchers.

The Minutmen and Sun Devils finish their three-game set on Sunday with first pitch slated for 4 p.m. eastern time.

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Team Stats

Tempesta Adam

Macdonald Jim

Donato Mike

Garrity Bryan

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University of Massachusets Athletics