University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Sam Houston State
Baseball Drops Weekend Finale 6-2 To Sam Houston
March 06, 2011 | Baseball
March 6, 2011
HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS - The UMass baseball team scored twice late, but it was not enough to overcome a 5-0 deficit, as the squad dropped its final game at the Bearkat Baseball Invitational to Sam Houston State, 6-2, on Sunday afternoon at Don Sanders Stadium. With the loss, the Minutemen are now 0-4 at the conclusion of their season-opening weekend, while the Bearkats improve to 10-2.
Sam Houston began the contest with a two-run first inning. Braeden Riley drew a leadoff walk and Ryan Mooney singled to right before Mark Hudson came up with a one-out RBI single to center that plated the pair.
The Bearkats added another run in their next turn at bat. Jake Arrington singled to right and came home on a single to left by Mooney.
Then in the fifth, Sam Houston increased its advantage to 5-0 as Hudson and Greg Olson ripped back-to-back triples. Olson knocked in Hudson and scored on a wild pitch with Tyler Fiebrich at the plate.
UMass got on the board in the top of the seventh. Senior Matt Gedman sent a leadoff single into center, moved to second on a groundout by classmate Peter Copa and crossed the plate on an RBI single by Kyle Multner.
However, the Bearkats promptly took the run back in the bottom half of the frame. Chris Andreas doubled and eventually came in on a sacrifice fly by Olson.
The Minutemen scored once more in the ninth. Freshman Nick Sanford pinch ran for senior Eric Fredette, who reached on an error, went to third on a single by Gedman and scored on a ground ball double play.
Redshirt freshman John McKenna suffered the loss (0-1) on the mound for UMass in his collegiate debut. He allowed three runs on eight hits and walked four. Caleb Smith collected the win (2-0) for Sam Houston after giving up just one hit in six shutout innings of work with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Gedman and Multner both went 2-for-4 at the plate for the Minutemen with Multner recording the team's lone RBI. Freshman Adam Picard picked up the fifth UMass hit on the afternoon.
For the Bearkats, Olson hit 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored and Hudson went 2-for-4 with two RBI and scored once, as well. Mooney batted 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored and Andreas finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.
The Minutemen next travel to Winter Haven, Fla., for Spring Break and will begin the week with a game against Toledo on Saturday, Mar. 12 at 9:30 a.m.
