University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Xavier
Baseball Drops Doubleheader To Xavier, 8-7 & 9-2
April 22, 2011 | Baseball
April 22, 2011
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
AMHERST, Mass. - The UMass baseball team led in both contests on Friday afternoon at Earl Lorden Field, but could not hold off Xavier, falling 8-7 in 10 innings in game one before dropping game two of the twinbill, 9-2. The series between the Minutemen (12-20, 5-6 A-10) and the Musketeers (20-18, 5-6 A-10) will conclude tomorrow, Apr. 23, with the finale at 1 p.m., weather permitting.
Xavier capitalized on a one-out walk to Ben Thomas in the top of the first to begin the opener with a 1-0 lead. Thomas stole second and came home on an RBI single up the middle by Seth Willoughby.
UMass responded by climbing in front, 3-1 in its first turn at bat. Sophomore Anthony Serino drew a one-out walk, was sacrificed over to second by senior Eric Fredette and scored on a double to center by senior Matt Gedman. Senior Peter Copa followed up with a single through the left side and junior Tom Conley plated Gedman with a sacrifice fly. With the second extra base hit of the inning, senior Kyle Multner drove in Copa with a double to right center.
The Minutemen added two more runs in the bottom of the third. Fredette singled to left and Gedman reached on an error. After the runners moved up on a sacrifice by Copa, Multner knocked in the pair with a single to center.
The Musketeers were held off the board in the second, third and fourth, but came through with four in the fifth to tie the score at five. Three one-out singles loaded the bases for Thomas, who roped the first pitch of his at bat to deep center to pick up three RBI. Thomas then scored on a single to center by Willoughby.
UMass pulled back in front, 7-5, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh. Gedman and Copa began the frame with walks and Conley reached on an error. After reliever Markus Kuykendoll struck out the next two batters he faced, freshman Nick Sanford drew a bases loaded walk on a full count to force in Gedman. Sophomore Rich Graef hustled out an infield single to send in the team's seventh run, but that was all the Minutemen were able to manage after loading the bases with no outs.
Xavier promptly pulled level with UMass in its next turn at bat. Ryan Bellamy ripped a leadoff double down the left field line and scored on an RBI groundout by Selby Chidemo. Brian Bruening reached with an infield single and later crossed the plate on a single up the middle.
The Musketeers later scored the would-be winning run in the top of the 10th. Bruening began the inning with a single up the middle, moved to third on a sacrifice and came home on a single through the right side by Mark Elwell.
Junior Leif Sorenson took the loss (0-5) in relief for UMass after allowing one run on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts in three innings on the hill. Kuykendoll earned the win as he tossed three scoreless innings and scattered three hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Willoughby notched his eighth save of the season after throwing a scoreless bottom of the 10th, letting up two hits and fanning two.
In game two, the Minutemen took a 1-0 lead in the third. Graef poked a one-out single through the left side, stole second and scored on a single to left by Fredette.
That would be the last UMass hit over the next three innings however, as Xavier proceeded to break the contest open with four runs on four hits in the fourth and five runs on three hits in the sixth. Bruening picked up two RBI with a double to center in the fourth, while Willoughby capped off the scoring for the Musketeers with a three-run homer to left with one out in the sixth.
The Minutemen broke through for three one-out hits in the seventh, but were able to produce only one additional run. Conley singled to left and came home on a single up the middle by freshman Nik Campero.
Junior Robert Machado gave up six runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings in his start and suffered the loss (2-5) for UMass, walking three and striking out one. Jon Richard collected the win (3-3) after hurling eight innings and allowing two runs on seven hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
Multner finished the doubleheader 4-for-9 at the plate with two doubles and three RBI to pace the Minutemen, while Conley was 3-for-7 with an RBI and a run scored. Gedman went 2-for-4 with three runs and an RBI in game one, but was 0-for-4 in the nightcap to end his hit streak at 18 games.
Willoughby paced Xavier with a 7-for-9 showing in the twinbill with five RBI and two runs scored. Elwell batted 5-for-9 on the day with three RBI, while Bruening scored three and Thomas drove in three.
