University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
La Salle
Minutemen Take Season Finale, 15-8 Over La Salle
May 22, 2010 | Baseball
May 22, 2010
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AMHERST, Mass. - The UMass baseball seniors celebrated Senior Day by carrying the Minutemen to a 15-8 win over La Salle at Earl Lorden Field on Saturday afternoon. Five of UMass' seven seniors combined for 12 hits, 10 RBI and eight runs scored, while senior Bryan Leigh picked up the win on the mound in the squad's season finale. The Minutemen end 2010 with a record of 19-27, 13-14 in the A-10, while the Explorers improve to 21-30 (14-13 A-10) and will continue on, earning a berth into the A-10 Tournament.
After a scoreless first inning, UMass jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second. The first two batters in the frame, senior Mike Donato and junior Peter Copa, reached with singles before senior Mike Gedman drove a 3-1 pitch over the fence in center for a three-run homer.
The Minutemen followed up by scoring three more in their next turn at bat to increase the advantage to 6-0. Freshman Ryan Cusick led off with a double down the left field line, while senior Brian Baudinet knocked him in with an RBI single to left. Donato sent the first pitch of his at bat into center for a single and came in on an RBI single by Gedman. Senior Garrett Glashoff tallied the final RBI of the frame, dropping a double into right that scored Copa.
In the bottom of the fifth, UMass broke the game open with four runs on four hits. Three straight singles by Donato, Copa and Gedman yielded the team's seventh and eighth runs after Baudinet led off the inning by reaching on an error. Glashoff continued the string of hits with his second RBI double of the game, which brought in Copa. Senior Ben Kessel followed with a sacrifice fly to right that plated Glashoff and increased the score to 10-0.
La Salle broke up the shutout by scoring three times in the top of the sixth. Brendan Norton lined a 3-1 pitch into the gap in left center to plate John Malloy. Then Jon Gyles, who was hit by a pitch, came home on an infield single by Jeff Flax. Norton later scored on an error for the Explorers' third run.
The Minutemen further pulled away with a four-run bottom of the seventh. Following a leadoff walk to Copa and a single up the middle by Gedman, junior Kyle Multner blasted a two-out three-run home run to left. Further extending the inning, Cusick doubled to left and crossed the plate on an RBI single by junior Eric Fredette.
Donato capped off his UMass career with a solo home run in his final at bat, pushing the lead to 15-3 in the bottom of the eighth.
Capitalizing on three errors by the Minutemen, while also tallying three hits, La Salle closed out the contest with a five-run ninth inning.
Leigh tossed five innings and earned the win (6-5), his fifth in Atlantic 10 play. He allowed three runs on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Kevin Christy took the loss (2-7) for the Explorers, surrendering six runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Capping off a stellar career for the Minutemen, Donato went 5-for-5 at the plate with a home run, and four runs scored. Gedman finished 4-for-5 with a homer, five RBI and two runs scored, while Glashoff was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, two RBI and one run scored. Copa was a perfect 3-for-3 on the afternoon with four runs scored and Cusick contributed three hits (3-for-5) with two runs scored.
Malloy and Norton both had three-hit outings for La Salle, batting 3-for-5 and 3-for-3 respectively, each scoring twice. Dan Klem registered two RBI.
