University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
12-22, 8-8
Richmond
21-18, 10-6
UMass Baseball Walks Off With 3-2 Win Over Richmond
May 01, 2015 | Baseball
AMHERST, Mass. - A solid pitching performance by starter Ryan Moloney and a walk-off single by Mike Geannelis guided the UMass baseball team to a 3-2 victory in 10 innings over Richmond at Earl Lorden Field on Friday afternoon. The win moved the Minutemen to 12-22 overall and 8-8 in Atlantic 10 play, while the Spiders fell to 21-18 and 10-6 in A-10 action.
With the teams deadlocked in a defensive battle, UMass opened the scoring in the fourth inning. After Geannelis and redshirt senior Adam Picard led off with back-to-back walks, Dylan Morris laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third. After a fielder's choice eliminated Geannelis, sophomore Mike Hart lofted a two-out double to the right field corner, scoring Picard and junior Brandon Walsh.
The Spiders responded in the sixth frame, though, following a walk and double by Tyler Beckwith and Michael Morman, respectively. Beckwith scored on a single to right field by Matt Dacey, while Morman came in behind him after a throwing error to tie the score at two apiece.
Richmond threatened to take the lead in the eighth as Beckwith led off with a double to right and, following a sacrifice bunt, stood at third with just one away. However, junior Evan Mackintosh relieved Moloney and worked out of the jam with a strikeout and a fly ball.
Later with one down in the 10th, senior Paul Yanakopulos bounced a single up the middle, followed by a hit from redshirt senior Adie that fell in between three Spiders in shallow right. The next batter, Geannelis, sent a 0-2 pitch into the gap in left center to plate Yanakopulos for the winning run.
Moloney, who received a no-decision for the Minutemen, tossed 7.1 innings of two-run ball. The sophomore right-hander did not allow a Richmond runner to move past first base until the sixth inning. Mackintosh worked the remaining 2.2 shutout innings without allowing a hit, walked two and struck out three en route to the win (2-0).
Ray Harron tossed two innings out of the bullpen for the Spiders and was hooked with the loss (2-2) as he surrendered one run on three hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
Adie (2-for-5) and Geannelis (2-for-4) contributed four of UMass' 10 hits on the day, while Hart picked up the first two RBI of his collegiate career with his first career double. Morman paced Richmond offensively with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate with an RBI and a run scored.
Both teams return to action Saturday at 1 p.m. for the second game of the three-game set between the squads at Earl Lorden Field.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Mackintosh, Evan (2-0)
L: Harron (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Beckwith 1 ; Morman 1
RBI: Morman 1
SH: Morman 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Beckwith 1 ; Morman 1
CS: Kraeger 1
Batting:
2B: Hart, Mike 1
RBI: Geannelis, Mike 1 ; Hart, Mike 2
SH: Maher, Bryce 1 ; Morris, Dylan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Yanakopulos, Paul 1 ; Picard, Adam 1 ; Walsh, Brandon 1
