University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Saint Louis
Baseball Wins St. Louis Series With DH Sweep
April 24, 2010 | Baseball
April 24, 2010
Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)
AMHERST, Mass. - The UMass baseball team secured its third straight Atlantic 10 series victory as the squad swept a doubleheader over Saint Louis, 10-9 and 12-0 on Earl Lorden Field on Saturday afternoon. Following the pair of wins, the Minutemen sit at 10-21 overall and 7-8 in conference play, while the Billikens drop to 20-21 overall and 8-7 in the A-10.
For the second time this week, UMass erased a 9-3 deficit in a come-from behind victory. In the bottom of the eighth, junior Eric Fredette hit a game-tying three-run homer off the scoreboard in left following full-count walks to junior Kyle Multner and freshman Ryan Cusick. Junior Matt Gedman made it back-to-back long balls for the Minutemen with his blast over the fence in center, providing the eventual winning run.
Saint Louis began the contest with a two-run first as Cody Cotter led off the game with a single and then came home when the next batter, J.D. Dunn, ripped a triple down the left field line. Dunn scored on an error to give the Billikens a 2-0 lead.
UMass tied the score in the bottom of the fourth. Mike Donato began the frame with a walk and scored on a double play ball and a two-out RBI single by sophomore Tom Conley plated senior Brian Baudinet for the team's second run.
The Billikens responded by scoring four times on five hits in their next turn at bat, capped off by a three-run homer from Danny Brock that put Saint Louis on top, 6-2. Singles by Cusick and Matt Gedman in the bottom of the inning brought the Minutemen to within three, but the Billikens capitalized on a pair of UMass errors in the sixth, adding three more runs to increase their advantage to 9-3.
The Minutemen began to chip away, scoring once in the sixth and again in the seventh. Mike Gedman's RBI single to left sent around junior Peter Copa, who began the sixth with a single. Then in the seventh, Fredette reached with his third hit of the afternoon and came home on a sacrifice fly by Baudinet.
Another sacrifice fly brought UMass a run closer in the eighth, preceding the homers by Fredette and Matt Gedman. Mike Gedman ripped a double off the top of the fence in left center to begin the inning, while Conley later brought him in with fly ball to right.
Sophomore Joe Popielarczyk was stellar in relief for the Minutemen, including working out of a one-out bases loaded jam when he entered in the sixth. Earning his first career win (1-0), Popielarczyk allowed just one hit, hurling three shutout innings with one walk and five strikeouts. Sophomore Leif Sorenson relieved him in the ninth and threw one pitch for a game-ending double play to log his second save of the season. Jerry Mancuso took the loss (4-4) for Saint Louis as he allowed two runs on two hits with no walks and two strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning on the hill.
Riding the momentum of the game one victory, UMass broke open a scoreless game two with six runs on five hits in the bottom of the fourth. Back-to-back homers by Copa and Mike Gedman started things off for the Minutemen. Fredette later added a third run with a sacrifice fly to bring in Multner. Baudinet then plated Cusick and Matt Gedman with a two-out single to left.
Fredette hit his second homer of the day with one out in the sixth, while RBI singles by Copa and Mike Gedman increased the advantage to 9-0.
Cusick led off the seventh with a single up the middle and later crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Donato. Then in the eighth, Conley capped off the scoring with a two-run homer to centerfield.
Reigning UMass Athlete and A-10 Pitcher of the Week, senior Bryan Leigh was nearly unhittable on the mound for the Minutemen in game two. Leigh tossed eight shutout innings, scattering four hits with two walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts to record the victory (3-4). Andrew Buckham let up four runs on five hits in three innings on the mound for Saint Louis to take the loss (0-3), walking four and striking out three.
UMass pounded out a total of 35 hits in the doubleheader, including six home runs and four doubles for a team batting average of .467. Fredette led the way for the Minutemen with an 8-for-5 effort at the plate, two walks, two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored. Cusick scored four times and hit 5-for-9, while Mike Gedman (5-for-9), Peter Copa (5-for-9) and Matt Gedman (5-for-10) all finished the day with five hits, as well.
UMass will continue its stretch of nine straight at home when the squad will play host to Siena on Tuesday, Apr. 27, at 3 p.m. on Earl Lorden Field.
