University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Charlotte
Baseball Falls In Game One At Charlotte, 10-4
April 02, 2010 | Baseball
April 2, 2010
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The UMass baseball team scored four late runs, but could not overcome a 9-0 deficit, falling in game one at Charlotte on Friday evening by a 10-4 margin. Following the setback, the Minutemen are now 2-12, 1-3 in the Atlantic 10, while the 49ers remain perfect in conference play at 4-0 and sit at 17-6 overall.
Capitalizing on a pair of miscues in the UMass infield, Charlotte managed to plate three runs in the bottom of the first. After Justin Wilson reached on an error and Shane Brown drew a walk, Ryan Rivers knocked in Wilson with a single to left. Then with two away, Mike Perkins sent a double down the left field line that scored Brown and Kevin Gillespie.
The Minutemen had two runners in scoring position in the top of the fifth following a single by Mike Gedman through the right side that broke up Corey Roberts' no-hit bid, but were unable to get on the board.
The 49ers followed up by adding three more runs in their next turn at bat. Cory Tilton drove home Corey Shaylor and Wilson with a triple to left center. Tilton came in for the team's sixth run of the day on a sacrifice fly by Brown.
Charlotte pushed its advantage to 9-0 in the bottom of the sixth. Justin Roland's double to left field plated Perkins and Zane Williams, who began the inning with a single and a walk, respectively. Roland advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and crossed the plate on a passed ball.
In the top of the eighth, the UMass bats came alive, with four hits and three runs that brought the score to 9-3. Juniors Kyle Multner and Eric Fredette started things off with back-to-back singles to chase Roberts from the game. The first batter to face reliever Wes Hatley, junior Cameron McMullen, drilled a double to right center that scored Multner, but Fredette was thrown out in a play at the plate. After senior Mike Donato was hit by a pitch with two gone in the inning, his classmate Brian Baudinet connected for a bases-clearing triple that provided the Minutemen with two more runs.
A bases loaded walk to Brown in the bottom of the eighth forced in Williams for Charlotte's 10th run before UMass ended the contest by scoring once in the top of the ninth. Sophomore Tom Conley poked a one-out single through the left side before being lifted for a pinch runner, freshman Rich Graef. Graef moved to second on a wild pitch and came around to score on a single up the middle by Fredette with two out.
Senior Jared Freni took the loss (0-3) for the Minutemen after surrendering eight runs, five earned, on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Roberts logged the win (3-1) for the 49ers, working seven innings and holding UMass to one run on four hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts.
Fredette and Mike Gedman combined for four of the Minutemen's eight hits, each going 2-for-4 at the plate. Baudinet recorded two RBI, while Fredette and and McMullen had one apiece.
Perkins and Roland both finished 2-for-4 at the plate for Charlotte with two RBI and a run scored. Tilton went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, while Brown drove in a pair and Williams scored twice.
The squads will continue their three-game series, tomorrow, Apr. 3, with game two scheduled for 2 p.m. at Hayes Stadium.
