University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Saint Joseph's
Baseball Drops 1-0 Heartbreaker To Saint Joseph's
March 27, 2010 | Baseball
March 27, 2010
CAMDEN, N.J. - Despite a stellar start on the mound by junior Nick Serino, the UMass baseball team dropped a 1-0 heartbreaker to Saint Joseph's in the second game of its doubleheader at Campbell's Field on Saturday evening. The Minutemen fall to 1-11 and 0-2 in the Atlantic 10, while the Hawks improve to 6-10 and 2-0 in the conference.
Serino fanned a career-high 13 batters in his outing, but threw a wild pitch to the backstop in the eighth inning that allowed Joe Cook to score from third. Cook reached with a one-out bunt single, moved to second following a walk to Mike Coleman and went to third after tagging up on a fly out to left by Brian Hartsell.
UMass tallied five hits in the game, including doubles by senior Brian Baudinet and junior Corey Volpicelli in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively. Volpicelli was just the second Minuteman to reach third in the contest, advancing on a ground ball out after doubling down the left field line. Freshman Ryan Cusick, the first batter of the game, drew a walk, moved to second on a balk and went to third with one away on a fly ball to the warning track by junior Eric Fredette.
Cusick was the lone batter for either team to tally multiple hits in the contest as he finished 2-for-3 with a walk. Mike Donato also registered a hit for UMass, a two-out single in the sixth inning.
Serino pitched a complete game and was hooked with the loss (0-3) despite allowing just one run on three hits with five walks that accompanied his 13 strikeouts. Aside from Cook's single, which led to the winning run, David Valesente and Quinn Renner were the only other Saint Joseph's batters to register hits off the UMass left-hander. Valesente led off the bottom of the second with a double and Renner dropped a two-out single into left center in the fifth.
Hawks' starter Randy Mower pitched six shutout innings and scattered four hits with two walks and five strikeouts, but did not earn a decision. Quentin Farr came out of the bullpen to pick up the win (3-0), throwing 1.2 innings of hitless relief with no walks and three strikeouts.
The Minutemen will close out their series at Saint Joseph's tomorrow, Sunday, March 28, with game three set for noon at Campbell's Field.
