University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Northeastern
Baseball Wins Fourth Straight, 8-6 Over Northeastern
May 05, 2010 | Baseball
May 5, 2010
AMHERST, Mass. - The UMass baseball team pushed its winning streak to four as the squad wrapped up its eight-game homestand with a 8-6 victory over Northeastern on Wednesday afternoon at Earl Lorden Field. With the win, the Minutemen are now 14-22 on the season, while the Huskies drop to 9-24.
The first three UMass players to bat in the contest connected for base hits, which resulted in the first run of the afternoon for either squad. Freshman Ryan Cusick led off the bottom of the first with a double to left center, junior Eric Fredette reached with an infield single and junior Matt Gedman sent an RBI single up the middle to bring in Cusick. Fredette came home when the next batter, senior Mike Donato, hit a sacrifice fly to right to give the Minutemen a 2-0 advantage.
Northeastern followed up with four runs on four hits in its next turn at bat, however, to climb on top 4-2. Jon Leroux knocked in Jeff Dunlap with a double to left before scoring on a triple by Pete Castoldi. Matt Miller plated Castoldi with a fielder's choice ground ball and later crossed the plate when Frank Compagnone sent a two-out RBI single into left.
With one out in the bottom of the second, following a single to center by junior Corey Volpicelli, junior Kyle Multner ripped a 1-2 pitch off the scoreboard in left to knot things up at 4-4. Cusick singled and stole second before coming home on a single up the middle by Matt Gedman for the go-ahead run with two away.
The Huskies briefly re-took the lead, 6-5, scoring twice in the top of the fifth. The second batter of the frame, Dunlap, reached on a fielder's choice, while Leroux dropped a double into left that set up Castoldi with a pair of runners in scoring position. Castoldi came through with a two-RBI double, driving Northeastern's final two runs of the contest.
Junior Peter Copa reached on an error with two out in the bottom half of the frame, while senior Mike Gedman was hit by a pitch. After a balk moved the pair over to second and third, Volpicelli looped a two-run single into center that put the Minutemen on top, 7-6.
UMass later added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth as Mike Gedman drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice, took third on a fly ball to right and scored on an infield single by Cusick.
Junior Charlie Benson pitched 3.2 innings out of the bullpen to record the win (1-1) for the Minutemen, allowing two runs on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Sophomore Joe Popielarczyk then shut the Huskies down for the remaining four innings, surrendering just one hit, walking one and striking out five on the way to his first collegiate save. Kevin Ferguson started for Northeastern and took the loss (1-4) as he let up seven runs, five earned, on 10 hits with no walks and two strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work.
Cusick and Fredette both went 3-for-5 at the plate for UMass with Cusick logging an RBI and two runs scored. Matt Gedman finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Volpicelli hit 2-for-3 with two RBI and scored once. Multner registered a pair of RBI, as well.
For the Huskies, Matt Miller batted 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored and Castoldi was 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored.
UMass will make its first of two trips to Ohio as the squad will return to action at Dayton this Friday, May 7, at 3 p.m.
