University of Massachusets Athletics
Saturday, March 23
Richmond, Va.
2 p.m.
University of Massachusetts
4-11, 0-2
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VCU
17-6, 2-0
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UMass
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Late Push Keys 7-2 VCU Decision Over UMass Baseball
March 23, 2019 | Baseball
Minutemen close out opening weekend of conference play on Sunday at noon
RICHMOND, Va. – University of Massachusetts baseball kept VCU within two runs for the majority of the contest, but the Rams posted three in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull away en route to a 7-2 victory over the Minutemen on Saturday at The Diamond.
Junior Nolan Kessinger went 2-for-3 and scored a run, giving Kessinger his second consecutive multi-hit game and third of the season. Redshirt freshman Collin Shapiro doubled, scored a run and walked twice in the loss. Shapiro has reached base safely in all 15 games this season and both junior Eddy Hart and senior Ryan Lever now boast 14-game stretches in that category.
VCU opened the day's scoring in the first inning with a Brett Norwood opposite field double that knocked in Hogan Brown. Later in the frame Liam Hibbits popped a single that plated Norwood and doubled the Rams' lead to 2-0. Josh Simon then blasted a solo home run in the second inning to move the score to 3-0 in favor of the home side.
Massachusetts found the run column in the top of the fourth. Kessinger was hit by a pitch with one out and darted to third on a base hit from freshman Dylan Judd, before Lever bounced a single through the middle to score Kessinger.
The Minutemen cut the deficit back to one in the fifth when Shapiro dropped a double that tapped the left field line and scored on a wild pitch and passed ball. But VCU claimed that run back in the bottom half and put up a three-spot in the eighth to seal the victory.
Benjamin Dum (4-2) was the winning pitcher for VCU, dealing the final four innings in which Dum did not allow a hit. Sophomore Zach Clevenger (0-1) took the loss for the Minutemen, despite 3.1 innings of one-run relief work, allowing four hits and three walks while fanning two.
The Minutemen conclude their three-game series with the Rams on Sun., March 24 with a noon contest at The Diamond.
For the latest news and updates around UMass baseball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @UMassBaseball.
Junior Nolan Kessinger went 2-for-3 and scored a run, giving Kessinger his second consecutive multi-hit game and third of the season. Redshirt freshman Collin Shapiro doubled, scored a run and walked twice in the loss. Shapiro has reached base safely in all 15 games this season and both junior Eddy Hart and senior Ryan Lever now boast 14-game stretches in that category.
VCU opened the day's scoring in the first inning with a Brett Norwood opposite field double that knocked in Hogan Brown. Later in the frame Liam Hibbits popped a single that plated Norwood and doubled the Rams' lead to 2-0. Josh Simon then blasted a solo home run in the second inning to move the score to 3-0 in favor of the home side.
Massachusetts found the run column in the top of the fourth. Kessinger was hit by a pitch with one out and darted to third on a base hit from freshman Dylan Judd, before Lever bounced a single through the middle to score Kessinger.
The Minutemen cut the deficit back to one in the fifth when Shapiro dropped a double that tapped the left field line and scored on a wild pitch and passed ball. But VCU claimed that run back in the bottom half and put up a three-spot in the eighth to seal the victory.
Benjamin Dum (4-2) was the winning pitcher for VCU, dealing the final four innings in which Dum did not allow a hit. Sophomore Zach Clevenger (0-1) took the loss for the Minutemen, despite 3.1 innings of one-run relief work, allowing four hits and three walks while fanning two.
The Minutemen conclude their three-game series with the Rams on Sun., March 24 with a noon contest at The Diamond.
For the latest news and updates around UMass baseball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @UMassBaseball.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: DUM (4-2)
L: Clevenger, Zach (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Shapiro, Collin 1
RBI: Lever, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Shapiro, Collin 1 ; Kessinger, Nolan 1
HBP: Hart, Eddy 1 ; Kessinger, Nolan 1 ; Norton, Alec 1
Batting:
2B: NORWOOD 1
HR: CHING 1 ; SIMON 1
RBI: BROWN 1 ; CHING 2 ; NORWOOD 1 ; WITT 1 ; HIBBITS 1 ; SIMON 1
SH: BROWN 1 ; TAYLOR 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BROWN 2 ; CHING 2 ; NORWOOD 1 ; SIMON 2
HBP: CARPENTER 1
PO: SANCHEZ 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballOF/LHP
/ Baseball
SS/2B
/ BaseballOF
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