University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Dayton
Baseball Falls To Dayton In 17-16 Slugfest
May 08, 2010 | Baseball
May 8, 2010
DAYTON, Ohio - The UMass baseball team took a two-run lead into the bottom of the ninth, but could not hold off Dayton in its final turn at bat, falling to the Flyers in a 17-16 slugfest at Time Warner Cable on Saturday. Following the loss, the Minutemen are now 15-23 overall and 10-10 in the Atlantic 10, while Dayton moves to 20-27, 9-11 in conference games.
Joe Gayda singled to begin the Flyers' afternoon at the plate and later scored the first run of the game on an RBI groundout by Aaron Dunsmore.
UMass promptly jumped in front, 2-1, in the second inning. Walks drawn by Brian Baudinet and Mike Gedman led to the team's pair of runs as Baudinet came home on a wild pitch and Gedman crossed the plate on a two-out RBI single by junior Kyle Multner.
Dayton then fired back with four runs on four hits in its next turn at bat. Jimmy Roesinger singled up the middle to drive in Jonathan Castine and later scored on a double by Gayda. Josh Jeffery walked and scored on a ground ball, while Zach Jacob singled to left to bring in Gayda, increasing the Flyers' advantage to 5-2.
Following a scoreless third, the Minutemen crept back to within a run of Dayton at 5-4 in the top of the fourth. Junior Peter Copa plated senior Mike Donato with a single to right and Baudinet came in on a double play ball.
The Flyers took one of the two back in the bottom half of the frame with Gayda drawing a leadoff walk and scoring on a double by Dunsmore, before UMass erupted for five runs on five hits in the fifth. Three straight RBI doubles by junior Eric Fredette, junior Matt Gedman and Donato gave the Minutemen their first lead of the afternoon at 8-6. Donato then scampered home on a wild pitch for UMass' ninth run.
Before UMass could pull away any further, Dayton tied things up at nine in its next trip to the plate. Mitchell Nelson singled in Castine and Brian Blasik sent a two-run double into right to tie the score in the bottom of the fifth.
The Minutemen tallied the next four runs of the contest. Baudinet had a bases-clearing double down the left field line that brought the score to 12-9, while Multner hit a solo home run in the seventh to increase the advantage to four.
However, a two-run homer by Blasik and a bases loaded walk to Castine pulled the Flyers to within one at 13-12 through seven.
The teams then traded pairs of runs in the eighth. Donato led off the UMass half of the inning with a solo homer to right and Copa singled and scored on an RBI single by Mike Gedman. In the bottom of the eighth, Dunsmore drove in two for Dayton with a double to left.
After Fredette reached on an error and scored on a fielder's choice ground ball hit by Baudinet in the top of the ninth for the Minutemen's final run, the Flyers completed their comeback with three runs in the bottom of the frame.
Ian Hundley came home on a fielder's choice and Gayda came up with the game-winning hit, a two run single that brought in Rosinger and Zach Blanchette.
Mike Gedman took the loss (1-4) for UMass as he worked 1.2 innings out of the bullpen and allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Ian Gardeck picked up the win (3-1) in relief for Dayton. He tossed one hitless inning, walked two and gave up one unearned run.
Matt Gedman and Multner both finished the contest 3-for-5 for the Minutemen, with Multner registering two RBI. Baudinet went 2-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored, while Donato was 2-for-3 with four runs scored and two RBI.
Blasik (3-for-5) and Dunsmore (3-for-6), combined for nine RBI for the Flyers, Blasik with five and Dunsmore with four. Gayda hit 3-for-6 with three RBI and four runs scored, as well.
UMass and Dayton will wrap up their weekend series tomorrow, May 9, at noon.
