University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Xavier
A-10 Tournament Ends With 6-3 Loss
May 22, 2009 | Baseball
May 22, 2009
DAYTON, Ohio - The UMass baseball team's chase for an Atlantic 10 title ended on Friday afternoon with a 6-3 loss to No. 3-seed Xavier. With the most wins for the program since 2001, the Minutemen close out the season at 27-26, while the Musketeers (35-19) move on to face No. 1 Dayton in an elimination game this evening for a chance to advance to the championship round.
Xavier took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Drew Schmidt singled up the middle and scored from second on an RBI single to right by Jordan Conley with two away. Bobby Freking followed and lined a two-run double to right center that brought in Ben Thomas and Conley.
Billy O'Conner then made it a 4-0 game with a two-out solo home run to left the next inning, but sophomore Kyle Multner led off the fourth with an answering long ball to bring the Minutemen back within three.
UMass inched closer with another run on an RBI single to right by junior Mike Donato with two down in the bottom of the fifth that sent in junior Brian Baudinet, who reached base with a four-pitch walk.
However, the Musketeers responded with two in the sixth. Conley was hit by a pitch and crossed the plate on a two-out single to center by John McCambridge, while Freking singled to center and later came in on a wild pitch.
UMass' final run came across in the bottom of the ninth as senior Sam Boone led off the inning with a triple and scored on an RBI groundout by senior Adam Tempesta.
Senior Mike DiCato started and took the loss (5-4) for the Minutemen as he worked six innings and allowed six runs on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Ben Thomas earned the win (5-1) as he held UMass to two runs on six hits with four walks and two strikeouts in five innings on the mound.
Eight different Minutemen tallied hits in the contest, including doubles by sophomore Peter Copa and junior Mike Gedman.
Freking paced Xavier with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, registering two RBI and one run scored, while McCambridge went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
