University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Northwestern
UMass Bats Take Down 'Cats, 11-4
March 19, 2011 | Baseball
March 19, 2011
LAKELAND, Fla. - The UMass baseball team trailed early, but used a six-run third inning to help the squad roll to an 11-4 victory over Northwestern at Henley Field on Saturday afternoon. With their second straight win, the Minutemen improve to 3-8, while the Wildcats fall to 4-9.
Despite the fact that junior Rob Machado struck out the side in the top of the first, Northwestern managed to score a pair. Trevor Stevens led off with a single to left and Chris Lashmet poked a single through the infield with one down. After moving up on a wild pitch, Stevens scored on an error, while the next batter, Chris Kontos, drove in Lashmet with an RBI single.
UMass went down in order in the first and second before the bats erupted for six runs on six hits in the bottom of the third. Freshman Dylan Begin lined a single into center for the team's first hit of the afternoon and his classmate, Kyle Adie, followed with a single to left. Anthony Serino reached on a fielder's choice, loading the bases for senior Eric Fredette. Fredette sent a single into the outfield that scored Begin, but Adie was thrown out at the plate. Then Matt Gedman put the Minutemen on top, 3-2, as he poked a two-run single into left to plate Serino and Fredette. Senior Peter Copa followed up by crushing a double to the fence in center that brought Gedman all the way around from first, and to cap off the string of four straight hits, senior Kyle Multner launched a two-run homer that brought the score to 6-2.
The Minutemen proceeded to tack on a run in the fourth, two in the sixth and one each in the seventh and eighth innings. The Wildcats tallied runs in the seventh and again in the ninth to make the final score, 11-4.
Leading the way for the UMass offense, Gedman finished 4-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Adie had his first career multi-hit game (3-for-4) and scored twice, while Multner was 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. Fredette was the fourth and final Minuteman with multiple hits as he finished 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and scored once.
Machado went six innings and picked up the win (1-2) for UMass as he allowed three runs on 12 hits and struck out a career-high eight batters, while walking none. Junior Joe Popielarczyk rung up five batters in his three innings of relief and allowed one run on two hits and walked one. Jack Harvey took the loss (1-2) in his start for Northwestern. He threw six innings and surrendered nine runs, eight earned, on 12 hits, struck out two and walked two.
Offensively for the Wildcats, Lashmet batted 4-for-5, Stevens was 3-for-4 and Kontos went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI.
UMass will wrap up its stint at the RussMatt Invitational with a game against UMBC on Sunday, Mar. 20, at 10 a.m. on Lake Myrtle Field.
