Offensive Outpouring Helps Minutemen Outlast UTRGV, 14-11

EDINBURG, Texas – University of Massachusetts baseball weathered a late charge from UT Rio Grande Valley as the Minutemen wrapped up the weekend series with a 14-11 win on Sunday afternoon at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium. The result ends a three-game slide for the Maroon and White, who improve to 4-3, as the Vaqueros drop to 11-5.

UMass exploded for 14 runs on 13 hits, both season-highs, with all nine Minutemen in the batting order collecting at least one hit. Four players in senior Logan Greene, junior Nolan Kessinger, redshirt freshman Collin Shapiro and redshirt sophomore Anthony Videtto all had multi-hit performances at the plate and Greene (5), Shapiro (2) and Videtto (3) plus redshirt sophomore Connor Smith (4) contributed multiple RBIs in the win.

Smith's day included the first grand slam of his career and Greene clubbed a three-run homer, his first of the 2019 campaign.

The Minutemen worked quickly in the second to set up the early spark from Smith. Videtto opened the frame with a base hit to left before a walk to Greene and a bunt single by Kessinger loaded the bases. With one away, Smith hammered an 0-1 pitch beyond the left field bullpen and gave UMass the 4-0 advantage. But UTRGV answered in the bottom half to tie the score at four-apiece and added two more in the third, aided in part by Anthony Gomez's two doubles that netted him five RBI.

GOODBYE BASEBALL

Connor Smith goes yard–it's a grand slam and a 4??-0?? #Flagship?? lead in the second. pic.twitter.com/9V6tl0pnWZ
— UMass Baseball (@UMassBaseball) March 10, 2019

A six-run fourth then returned the lead to Massachusetts. Sending nine men to the plate, Shapiro brought senior Ryan Lever in with a single before Videtto sent a two-run knock to center field. Two pitches later, Greene homered to nearly the same spot beyond the left field bullpen as Smith and pulled the Minutemen ahead at 10-6, which would remain until the sixth and seventh innings when the teams exchanged three runs each.

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Logan Greene with a three-run jack and we lead 10-6!#Flagship?? pic.twitter.com/44H0iwI6go
— UMass Baseball (@UMassBaseball) March 10, 2019

Shapiro logged his second RBI of the day in the eighth with a base hit that plated senior Alec Norton, before the Vaqueros got back within four on a solo shot in their half by Andy Atwood.

UTRGV threatened in the last of the ninth and capitalized on a one-out fielding error with the bases loaded to narrow the UMass lead to 14-11. Freshman Daniel Livnat then took to the hill and worked a fly ball on the first pitch he threw, earning his first collegiate save.

The win on the bump went to freshman Jack Steele (1-0), who allowed two runs on four hits over four innings. UMass hitters faced a total of 10 different Vaqueros arms on the day, with the loss ultimately going to Kevin Palm (2-1) after being tagged for four runs in 1.2 innings of work earlier in the contest.

The Minutemen now turn their attention to two midweek games against Texas foes, meeting Incarnate Word on Tues., March 12 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time before trekking to Texas A&M Corpus Christi for a 7 p.m. game on Wed., March 13.

For the latest news and updates around UMass baseball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @UMassBaseball.

Scoreboard

Next Event

Team Stats

Collin Shapiro

Anthony Videtto

Logan Greene

Nolan Kessinger

Players Mentioned

Logan Greene

Nolan Kessinger

Ryan Lever

Daniel Livnat

Alec Norton

Collin Shapiro

Connor Smith

Jack Steele

Anthony Videtto

Players Mentioned

Logan Greene

Nolan Kessinger

Ryan Lever

Daniel Livnat

Alec Norton

Collin Shapiro

Connor Smith

Jack Steele

Anthony Videtto

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics