University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Saint Joseph's
Baseball Sweeps Saint Joseph's With Walk-Off, 11-9
April 19, 2009 | Baseball
April 19, 2009
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AMHERST, Mass. - Junior Mike Donato hit a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning as UMass baseball rallied from a six-run deficit to complete its series sweep of Saint Joseph's with an 11-9 victory on Sunday afternoon at Earl Lorden Field. The long ball was the key ingredient for the Minutemen (14-19, 7-8 A-10) once again as the squad posted its fourth straight win and has now hit 13 home runs in the past four games. With the loss, the Hawks drop to 14-19-1 overall, 7-7 in Atlantic 10 play.
UMass jumped on Saint Joseph's starter A.J. Holland early, chasing the right-hander from the game after just two-thirds of an inning. Senior Sam Boone led off the first for the Minutemen with a solo shot to left, while junior Austin Weymouth dropped down a bunt single and later crossed the plate on an error. Senior Jim Macdonald singled to left and scored on a sacrifice fly by Donato for the team's third run.
The Minutemen managed just two hits off reliever Matt Barnathan as he pitched the next 6.1 innings without giving up a run, allowing the Hawks the opportunity to post the next nine runs of the game.
Saint Joseph's promptly cut its deficit to 3-2 with two runs in the top of the second. Ryan McDonald sent a two-out RBI single up the middle to drive in Dewey Oriente. Mike Blahusch followed and lofted a double to right that brought home McDonald.
Mike Plakis tied the score at three with a solo home run to begin the Hawks' half of the third. Then with two away, three runs came in on an error as Joe Cook, Drew Smith and Oriente all crossed the plate after loading the bases for Saint Joseph's with a trio of singles.
Cook scored the next two runs for the Hawks, both times reaching base with singles. In the fourth, David Valesente connected for a double to send Cook home, while Oriente's two-RBI triple to deep center plated him in the top of the sixth, with David Valesente trotting in behind Cook.
That would be all for Saint Joseph's, who appeared to have the game in hand until UMass began a rally with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Junior Mike Gedman started things off for the Minutemen, placing a double in between the outfielders in right center. After freshman Tom Conley was hit by a pitch, sophomore Matt Gedman stepped to the plate and cut UMass' deficit in half as he ripped a pitch over the fence in right for a three-run jack. Sophomore Kyle Multner made it back-to-back homers, sending another ball out of the park in right. Two batters later, Weymouth doubled to right, setting up a two-out RBI single by Macdonald that brought the Minutemen to within a run at 9-8.
UMass followed up evening the score in the bottom of the ninth. Conley hustled out a double to right with one away and Matt Gedman singled in the pinch runner, sophomore Peter Copa, to force extra innings.
The Minutemen needed just one more trip to the plate as Donato's home run came with one out in the 10th after Macdonald had reached on an error.
Senior Mitchell Eilenberg worked 3.2 scoreless innings of relief for UMass to record the win (2-3), allowing two hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Ryan Kemp took the loss (1-2) for Saint Joseph's as he let up two runs, one earned, on one hit with one walk and one strikeout.
For a second straight game, every Minuteman in the starting lineup tallied at least one hit, with nine different players scoring runs. Macdonald finished a monster weekend at the plate with a team-best 3-for-6 performance, one RBI and two runs scored. Matt Gedman hit 2-for-5 with four RBI and one run scored and Donato drove in three.
Cook paced the Hawks hitters, going 4-for-6 with three runs scored. Smith was 3-for-4 with a run scored and Oriente was 3-for-4 with two RBI and scored twice.
UMass will look to keep things going as the team will play on the road this Tuesday, Apr. 21, taking on Central Connecticut at 3 p.m. in New Britain, Conn.
