University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
UMBC
Baseball Posts Third Straight Win, 9-5 Over UMBC
March 20, 2011 | Baseball
March 20, 2011
AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The UMass baseball team closed out its eight-game stint at the RussMatt Invitational by collecting its third straight win, 9-5 over UMBC on Sunday morning at Lake Myrtle Field. Following the victory, the Minutemen are now 4-8 on the season, while the Retrievers fall to 3-8.
UMass got on the board quickly with a run in the top of the first. Sophomore Rich Graef singled though the right side, stole second, moved to third on a ground ball and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Matt Gedman.
The Minutemen proceeded to break the game open with a four-run fourth. Gedman drove a single up the middle and seniors Peter Copa and Kyle Multner drew walks, loading the bases for junior Tom Conley, who hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Gedman. Copa came home on a double steal and, with two away, freshman Dylan Begin blasted his first career home run, a two-run shot, over the fence in left to increase the UMass advantage to 5-0.
Freshman Kyle Adie's two-run single with two away in the top of the sixth moved the score to 7-0.
UMBC broke up the shutout bid with its first run of the afternoon in the bottom half of the frame. Kevin Kean beat out an infield single to lead off the Retrievers' sixth and crossed the plate on an RBI single through the left side by Michael Pesci.
UMass added two more runs in the seventh to increase its advantage to 9-1 before the Retrievers managed a pair of runs in both the eighth and ninth innings. Multner plated senior Eric Fredette with a single to left and Conley picked up an RBI on a ground ball fielder's choice that scored Copa.
Sophomore Dennis Torres was stellar in his start for the Minutemen and earned his first career win (1-1). He surrendered just two hits, struck out two and did not walk a batter in five innings on the hill, throwing just 59 pitches. Jon Cohn started and took the loss (0-2) for UMBC as he let up four runs on two hits with five walks and no strikeouts, lasting only 3.0 innings in his outing.
In a balanced offensive effort, eight UMass players combined for the team's nine hits, with Gedman finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Conley, Begin and Adie contributed two RBI apiece, while Begin and Copa scored two runs each. Copa had three of the team's seven stolen bases on the afternoon, as well.
For the Retrievers, Pesci went 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, triple, three RBI and a run scored. Max Himmelstein was 2-for-5 in the contest.
The Minutemen will be back in the Northeast for their next game, playing at Hartford on Wednesday, Mar. 23, at 3 p.m.
