University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
14-26, 5-16
Fordham
33-15-1, 15-6
Minutemen Fall to Fordham in Series Finale, 10-8
May 13, 2018 | Baseball
UMass pushes six across in ninth inning but Minutemen are unable to complete rally from early deficit
Prior to the game, the Minutemen recognized the program's six-man Class of 2018, which included Brett Evangelista, Kevin Hassett, Scott Hovey, Keith Linnane, Andrew Noonan and Dylan Robinson.
Linnane went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored in his final home game donning the Maroon and White. Justen Voghel (2-for-4) and Alec Norton (2-for-4) also had multi-hit afternoons as eight different Minutemen combined for the squad's 12 hits.
After the Rams jumped out to a 6-0 lead through three innings, the Minutemen clawed back within four in the fifth frame. Noonan led off being hit by an 0-2 pitch, then advanced to third when Linnane smacked a double to the gap in left center field. Cooper Mrowka brought Noonan home on a base hit to right field before Nolan Kessinger lifted a sacrifice fly to center, plating Linnane and moving the score to 6-2.
Fordham pushed its lead back to five in the next inning on a Brian Goulard ground ball to the right side that allowed Alvin Melendez to cross the plate. Soon after, however, the inning would come to an end on a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play, retiring Matt Tarabek and Justin Bardwell, respectively. From behind the dish, that was Linnane's sixth runner thrown out in the series.
Goulard laced an RBI single in the eighth, setting the stage for Nick Labella to club a two-run, ninth inning homer just below the Earl Lorden Field scoreboard in left field that swelled the visitors' lead to 10-2.
But the Minutemen refused to go down quietly. Anthony Zimmerman began the inning on the hill for Fordham, allowing Melendez to return to right field. Linnane and Matt Hosman opened up with singles with Linnane scoring on Eddy Hart's two-out base knock to center field. Logan Greene walked to load the bases and Voghel followed with another free pass that brought Hosman home.
Norton was next up and slammed a 2-2 offering into the left field corner for a two-run double, prompting Fordham to go to closer Kyle Martin in what had suddenly become a save situation.
Martin came on to face Noonan who worked a walk to once again load the bases for Linnane, now the tying run at the plate. He proceeded to pop a single up the middle, crossing Norton and Robinson to move the score to 10-8. Unfortunately for the Minutemen, Martin quickly battled back and used a strikeout to bring the ballgame to an end and earn his 10th save.
Fordham starter Anthony DiMeglio dealt five innings of two-run ball en route to the win (8-1), striking out six and allowing just three hits. Ben Shields (0-3) took the loss after exiting earlier in the game. Hassett saw two innings of work in relief and struck out a pair.
With the home schedule now in the books, the Minutemen turn their attention to a Tues., May 15 game at Fairfield with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.
For the latest news and updates around UMass baseball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @UMassBaseball.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: DiMEGLIO, Anthony (8-1)
L: Shields, Ben (0-3)
S: MARTIN, Kyle (10)
Batting:
2B: MELENDEZ, Alvin 1 ; BARDWELL, Justin 1
HR: LABELLA, Nick 2
RBI: MacKENZIE, Jake 1 ; MELENDEZ, Alvin 1 ; GOULARD, Brian 3 ; TARABEK, Matt 1 ; LABELLA, Nick 4
Base Running:
RUNS: GODRICK, Billy 2 ; MacKENZIE, Jake 1 ; MELENDEZ, Alvin 2 ; BARDWELL, Justin 1 ; GOULARD, Brian 1 ; VAZQUEZ, C.J. 1 ; LABELLA, Nick 2
SB: GODRICK, Billy 2 ; MacKENZIE, Jake 1 ; MELENDEZ, Alvin 2 ; BARDWELL, Justin 1 ; VAZQUEZ, C.J. 1
CS: MacKENZIE, Jake 1 ; BARDWELL, Justin 1
HBP: GODRICK, Billy 1 ; VAZQUEZ, C.J. 1
Batting:
2B: Norton, Alec 2 ; Linnane, Keith 1
RBI: Kessinger, Nolan 1 ; Hart, Eddy 1 ; Voghel, Justen 1 ; Norton, Alec 2 ; Linnane, Keith 2 ; Mrowka, Cooper 1
SF: Kessinger, Nolan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Oliphant, Luke 1 ; Greene, Logan 1 ; Robinson, Dylan 1 ; Norton, Alec 1 ; Noonan, Andrew 1 ; Linnane, Keith 2 ; Hosman, Matt 1
SB: Norton, Alec 1
HBP: Noonan, Andrew 1
