University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
George Washington
Home Runs Carry Baseball Past GW, 6-3
March 26, 2011 | Baseball
March 26, 2011
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The UMass baseball team used four home runs, including two in the ninth, to rally for a 6-3 victory George Washington on Saturday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader. With the squad's fifth consecutive victory, the Minutemen improve to 6-8 on the season, 2-0 in the A-10, while the Colonials drop to 6-17 overall and 0-2 in the conference.
Senior Matt Gedman provided early offense for UMass with a two-out home run to left in the top of the first and a leadoff long ball in the fourth, the squad's first two hits of the afternoon.
However, George Washington managed to pull in front with a homer of its own, taking the lead with one swing of the bat. Justin Albright began the sixth with a single to left and Owen Beightol dropped a base hit into right center. Then, with two runners aboard, Stephen Oswald lofted a home run over the fence in right center that put the Colonials on top, 3-2.
After a scoreless seventh, the Minutemen responded with the tying run in the top of the eighth. Freshman Kyle Adie drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice by sophomore Rich Graef and to third on a single by senior Eric Fredette. Gedman followed up by collecting his third RBI of the afternoon, plating Adie with a ground ball.
In the top of the ninth, after senior Kyle Multner led off with a single, junior Tom Conley crushed a 1-2 pitch over the fence in left to regain the lead for UMass. Sophomore Anthony Serino made it back-to-back shots for the Minutemen, adding an insurance run with his first career homer.
Junior Robert Machado tossed eight innings and allowed just three runs on eight hits en-route to the victory (2-2) for UMass. He struck out five and walked one, as well. Leif Sorenson sent the GW hitters down in order in the ninth and struck out one to record his third save of the season. For the Colonials, reliever Craig LeJeune took the loss (1-1) as he surrendered two runs on two hits, pitching one-third of an inning.
Gedman paced the Minutemen bats, going 2-for-3 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI and two runs scored. Fredette finished 2-for-4 and Conley drove in a pair. Oswald went 2-for-3 with three RBI for GW and Albright batted 2-for-4 and scored a run.
