University of Massachusets Athletics
Tuesday, March 27
Albany, N.Y.
3 p.m.
University of Massachusetts
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Massachusetts
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UAlbany
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Minutemen Escape UAlbany With 8-7 Victory
March 27, 2018 | Baseball
Six-run sixth inning pads UMass lead before Great Danes fall short in late rally
ALBANY, N.Y. – Nolan Kessinger went 2-for-3 with a three-run triple and Ryan Lever scored twice as University of Massachusetts baseball came away with an 8-7 win over America East foe UAlbany on Tuesday at Varsity Field. UMass improves to 8-6 with the win and the Great Danes are now 9-8 on the season.
Kessinger increased his RBI total to a team-leading 14 on the season while Lever extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games. Eddy Hart also had his fifth multi-hit game of the year with a 2-for-5 effort.
The Great Danes grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Connor Powers doubled to deep right-center field, scoring Brad Malm with one out. In the following frame, Albany doubled its advantage to 2-0 when a sacrifice fly by Nick Kondo plated Matt Codispoti.
Massachusetts evened the score in the top of the fifth, in a sequence opening with Hart's two out single into right field. After a fielding error put Lever at first base and Kessinger hit by a pitch, Cooper Mrowka ripped a base hit through the left side to drive in Hart and Lever.
UMass claimed the lead in the sixth, sending 10 men to bat. Logan Greene opened the scoring after smacking a double into the left field corner that brought Marcus Fry around from second base. After using small ball to score Greene, the Minutemen moved Frank DiOrio and Brett Evangelista into scoring position when an errant pickoff attempt at second base skipped into center field.
Lever then drew a walk and set up Kessinger to lace his three-bagger down the right field line before Connor Smith's sac bunt brought in Kessinger and concluded the six-run inning with the Minutemen ahead 8-2.
Codispoti connected on an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to move the margin back to five with Massachusetts leading 8-3. Two innings later Kondo capped a three-run eighth with a floater to shallow center that scored two for the home squad.
In the last of the ninth, Carter Knapek took over on the mound needing three outs to put away the game. With the tying run at first base and a 1-2 count on Ryan Hernandez, Travis Collins was caught in a rundown between first and second before Lever finally applied the game-ending tag. In that same sequence Powers came in from third, bringing the game's final score to 8-7.
On the mound, Sean Harney (1-0) earned his first collegiate win and did not surrender a hit in the three innings he worked, recording three walks and two strikeouts. Knapek earned his second save.
Albany's Brenden Cournoyer (0-1) was hooked with the loss, giving up the first two of UMass' six runs in the sixth inning.
Massachusetts resumes Atlantic 10 play on Fri., March 30, opening Earl Lorden Field with a 3 p.m. game against St. Bonaventure.
For the latest news and updates around UMass baseball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @UMassBaseball.
Kessinger increased his RBI total to a team-leading 14 on the season while Lever extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games. Eddy Hart also had his fifth multi-hit game of the year with a 2-for-5 effort.
The Great Danes grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Connor Powers doubled to deep right-center field, scoring Brad Malm with one out. In the following frame, Albany doubled its advantage to 2-0 when a sacrifice fly by Nick Kondo plated Matt Codispoti.
Massachusetts evened the score in the top of the fifth, in a sequence opening with Hart's two out single into right field. After a fielding error put Lever at first base and Kessinger hit by a pitch, Cooper Mrowka ripped a base hit through the left side to drive in Hart and Lever.
UMass claimed the lead in the sixth, sending 10 men to bat. Logan Greene opened the scoring after smacking a double into the left field corner that brought Marcus Fry around from second base. After using small ball to score Greene, the Minutemen moved Frank DiOrio and Brett Evangelista into scoring position when an errant pickoff attempt at second base skipped into center field.
Lever then drew a walk and set up Kessinger to lace his three-bagger down the right field line before Connor Smith's sac bunt brought in Kessinger and concluded the six-run inning with the Minutemen ahead 8-2.
Codispoti connected on an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to move the margin back to five with Massachusetts leading 8-3. Two innings later Kondo capped a three-run eighth with a floater to shallow center that scored two for the home squad.
In the last of the ninth, Carter Knapek took over on the mound needing three outs to put away the game. With the tying run at first base and a 1-2 count on Ryan Hernandez, Travis Collins was caught in a rundown between first and second before Lever finally applied the game-ending tag. In that same sequence Powers came in from third, bringing the game's final score to 8-7.
On the mound, Sean Harney (1-0) earned his first collegiate win and did not surrender a hit in the three innings he worked, recording three walks and two strikeouts. Knapek earned his second save.
Albany's Brenden Cournoyer (0-1) was hooked with the loss, giving up the first two of UMass' six runs in the sixth inning.
Massachusetts resumes Atlantic 10 play on Fri., March 30, opening Earl Lorden Field with a 3 p.m. game against St. Bonaventure.
For the latest news and updates around UMass baseball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @UMassBaseball.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harney, Sean (1-0)
L: Cournoyer, B (0-1)
S: Knapek, Carter (2)
Batting:
2B: Greene, Logan 1
3B: Kessinger, Nolan 1
RBI: Kessinger, Nolan 3 ; Mrowka, Cooper 2 ; Smith, Connor 1 ; Greene, Logan 1 ; DiOrio, Frank 1
SH: Smith, Connor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hart, Eddy 1 ; Lever, Ryan 2 ; Kessinger, Nolan 1 ; Fry, Marcus 1 ; Greene, Logan 1 ; Evangelista, Brett 1 ; DiOrio, Frank 1
SB: Hart, Eddy 1 ; Fry, Marcus 1
HBP: Kessinger, Nolan 1
Batting:
2B: Powers, C 1 ; Collins, T 1
RBI: Powers, C 1 ; Codispoti, M 1 ; Hernandez, R 1 ; Kondo, N 3
SF: Kondo, N 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Malm, B 1 ; Powers, C 1 ; Wangenstein, 1 ; Collins, T 1 ; Codispoti, M 2 ; Hernandez, R 1
SB: Lagravinese, 1 ; Kondo, N 3
CS: Collins, T 1
HBP: Malm, B 1 ; Kondo, N 1
Game Leaders
cf/rf
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
OF
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OF
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INF/OF
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OF
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RHP
/ BaseballOF/LHP
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RHP
/ BaseballSS/2B
/ Baseball1B
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