University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Xavier
Minutemen Fall To Xavier, 11-6
May 15, 2010 | Baseball
May 15, 2010
CINCINNATI, Ohio - Despite erasing an early 3-0 deficit, the UMass baseball team could not hold off Xavier in the late innings, falling 11-6 at Hayden Field on Saturday afternoon. The loss leaves the Minutemen at 17-25, 11-12 in the Atlantic 10, while the Musketeers improve to 21-30 and 14-9 in conference play.
Xavier began the contest with 3-0 lead after one inning. John McCambridge led off the Musketeers' first turn at bat with a triple down the left field line and promptly scored on an RBI single to center by Drew Schmidt. Schmidt came home on a sacrifice fly by Ben Thomas, while Phil Bauer scored the squad's third run of the frame on a wild pitch.
Timely hitting with two out in the top of the fourth tied the score at 3-3. Senior Mike Donato started things off for UMass with a four-pitch walk before consecutive singles by senior Brian Baudinet and junior Peter Copa brought in Donato. Following a walk to senior Mike Gedman, sophomore Tom Conley connected for a two-run single that plated Baudinet and Copa.
The Minutemen later pulled in front, 6-3, with three runs in the top of the sixth. With Copa on first and Baudinet on second, Mike Gedman ripped a one-out triple to right center that gave UMass the lead. Conley then singled in Gedman for the team's sixth and final run of the afternoon.
Xavier answered with six runs on five hits in its next trip to the plate. McCambridge hit a three-run homer that leveled the score at six. Thomas had a two-run shot that put the Musketeers back on top and Bobby Freking made it back-to-back home runs to increase the advantage to 9-6.
Two straight hits by Schmidt and Bauer to open up Xavier's half of the eighth resulted in two more Musketeers' runs as Thomas' single up the middle plated the pair.
Senior Jared Freni took the loss (2-5) on the mound for the Minutemen as he let up seven runs on 11 hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Brian Muransky came out of the bullpen for Xavier and logged the win (1-5), tossing two-thirds of an inning without allowing a run on one hit, walking two and striking out two.
Mike Gedman and Conley combined for four of UMass' seven hits, going 2-for-3 and 2-for-4 at the plate, respectively. Conley had three RBI, while Gedman drove in two and scored once.
Thomas finished the afternoon 3-for-3 for the Musketeers with five RBI. McCambridge batted 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Schmidt went 3-for-5 and scored three times.
UMass will wrap up its series at Xavier tomorrow, May 16, with game three set to begin at noon.
