University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Charlotte
Late Rally Carries Charlotte Past Minutemen, 8-5
April 03, 2010 | Baseball
April 3, 2010
Charlotte, N.C. - The UMass baseball team jumped out to a 5-3 lead, but five unanswered runs by the 49ers carried Charlotte past the Minutemen, 8-5, in Atlantic 10 action at Hayes Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Following the setback, UMass is now 2-14 on the season, 1-4 in conference play, while Charlotte improves to 5-0 in the Atlantic 10 and 18-6 overall.
The 49ers tallied the first two runs of the game in their first trip to the plate. Singles by Justin Wilson, Mike Perkins, Ryan Rivers and Kevin Gillespie gave Charlotte a 2-0 advantage.
In the top of the fourth, the Minutemen scored four times on five hits to pull in front, 4-2. Juniors Eric Fredette and Cameron McMullen started things off with back-to-back one-out singles to center. Junior Matt Gedman followed with a base knock to right, with Fredette coming in on the play following an error by Wilson. Senior Mike Donato then brought home McMullen with a double down the left field line. Senior Brian Baudinet sent a single through the left side to plate Matt Gedman and Donato came in on a sacrifice fly by junior Peter Copa.
After a solo home run by Rivers closed Charlotte's deficit to one in the bottom of the third , UMass went on to add a run in the top of the fifth to push the score to 5-3. Matt Gedman dropped a leadoff single into right, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, went to third on a single by Baudinet and scored on a passed ball.
Charlotte answered with a pair in the bottom half of the frame, however, to tie the score at five. Gillespie drew a one-out walk, while Williams doubled down the left field line to put the tying runs in scoring position for Corey Shaylor. Shaylor sent a fly ball into left that brought in Gillespie and moved Williams to third. Williams then crossed the plate on a wild pitch with Shane Brown at the plate.
Brown later led off the 49ers' half of the eighth with a triple and scored what would prove to be the winning run when Justin Roland reached on a fielder's choice. Wilson singled up the middle and Perkins bunted for a hit, setting up a two-run single up the middle by Gillespie that increased Charlotte's advantage to 8-5.
In relief of starter Nick Serino, senior Bryan Leigh (0-3) took the loss for the Minutemen. He tossed 3.1 innings and allowed three runs on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Bryan Hamilton worked 1.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the 49ers to earn the win (2-0). Hamilton surrendered one hit and struck out one batter before Patrick Lawson entered to retire the final two batters and log his fourth save of the year.
The middle of the UMass lineup, Matt Gedman (2-for-4), Donato (3-for-4) and Baudinet (2-for-4), combined for seven of the squad's 12 hits. Donato, Baudinet and Copa each registered an RBI in the contest, while Matt Gedman scored twice.
Gillespie led the charge for Charlotte with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, three RBI and one run scored. Wilson (2-for-4), Perkins (2-for-5), Rivers (2-for-4) and Brown (2-for-4) all had multi-hit games as well and scored one run apiece.
The teams will close out the series with a noon contest, tomorrow, Sunday, Apr. 4.
