University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Dayton
Dayton Rallies Past UMass Baseball, 8-6
April 09, 2011 | Baseball
April 9, 2011
AMHERST, Mass. - The UMass baseball team fought back from an early deficit to lead by four, but Dayton scored the final six runs of the contest, rallying to defeat the Minutemen, 8-6, on Saturday afternoon at Earl Lorden Field. With the loss, UMass is now 9-13 on the season and 3-2 in Atlantic 10 action, while the Flyers improve to 15-16 overall and 3-2 in the A-10.
Dayton began the game with a single by Brian Blasik, who came around to score the first run of the afternoon on a double to left by C.J. Gillman. Gillman came home when the next batter, Jonathan Castine, dropped a single into center.
The Minutemen responded in the bottom of the first by cutting its deficit in half. Senior Eric Fredette sent a one-out double down the left field line and crossed the plate on an RBI single up the middle by senior Peter Copa.
After a scoreless second, Copa came in for the tying run in the UMass half of the third after leading off the frame with a triple. Senior Kyle Multner picked up the RBI with a single to left to level the score at 2-2.
Then in their next trip to the plate, the Minutemen took a 6-2 lead with one swing of Copa's bat. After sophomore Anthony Serino reached with a bunt single, Rich Graef was hit by a pitch and Matt Gedman drew a one-out walk, Copa launched a first pitch fastball over the fence in left for a grand slam.
The four-run cushion did not prove to be enough, however, as the Flyers rallied by scoring in four of the remaining five innings. Blasik hit a one-out homer to left in the fifth and Bobby Glover had a two-out single up the middle in the sixth that scored Mel Skochdopole.
Dayton pulled level with UMass in the seventh after Gillman led off with a single and Danny Welch hit the first pitch he saw with one away over the fence in center.
Gillman came through with the would-be game-winning hit in the top of the eighth. Blasik singled to right and Zach Stewart was hit by a pitch before both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Gillman then lined a 1-1 offering into left center over the outstretched glove of Multner for a two-run double.
After the Minutemen touched up Flyers starter Burny Mitchem for six runs on 10 hits in 4.2 innings, reliever Trent Haughn stopped the bleeding by holding UMass off the board for the remainder of the contest to record the win (2-3). Haughn scattered three hits in his 4.1 innings of work, struck out three and walked two. Senior Charlie Benson took the loss (0-1) for the Minutemen in relief as he let up two runs on three hits and struck out one in one inning on the hill.
Copa followed up his 4-for-4 performance in game one of the series by going 4-for-5 in the second contest against Dayton, finishing just a double shy of hitting for the cycle with five RBI and two runs scored. Fredette (2-for-3) and freshman Dylan Begin (2-for-5) both had multiple hits, as well, helping UMass total 13 on the afternoon.
Blasik and Gillman combined for eight of the Flyers' 16 hits, both batting 4-for-5. Gillman tallied three RBI and two runs scored, while Blasik had three runs and one driven in.
The Minutemen will close out its series with Dayton with the rubber match of the three-game set on Sunday morning, Apr. 10, at 11 a.m.
