University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
8-17
Merrimack
9-14
Massachusetts Tops Merrimack, 9-8
April 14, 2021 | Baseball
Judd’s two-run homer highlights a three-RBI day, Gervasi posts three hits
On the mound, Jared Henry (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief and Tucker Wittman picked up his first save as a Minuteman.
After the teams traded runs in the opening three innings, Massachusetts used two runs in the fifth and a five-spot in the sixth inning to take the lead for good. Judd's sixth-inning long ball over the left-center field hedges put the Minutemen ahead by a 6-5 score, then Gervasi and Skagerlind added RBI singles later in the inning.
UMass tallied its ninth run on a hard-hit grounder back to the mound by Steve Luttazi, a ball that caromed toward shortstop and allowed Gervasi to score on the play. It capped the scoring in an inning where the Maroon and White sent 11 batters to the plate.
But the Warriors did not give up, plating two in the seventh inning and getting within 9-8 on a wild pitch in the eighth inning.
A crazy ninth inning saw Merrimack nearly level the score at nine-all. On for the save, Wittman caught a Merrimack runner leaning at second base leading to a pickle in which the runner was tagged out, leaving the tying run now at first base for the Warriors. A hit batsman put the tying run back at second, before Wittman picked up a much-needed strikeout leaving the Minutemen one out from victory.
On the ensuing at-bat, a wild pitch on the 2-2 offering moved the tying run to third, and as the runner turned for home, Gervasi hustled to the backstop, picked up the ball and fired to Wittman covering home to apply the tag on a bang-bang play and end a wild ballgame with a Massachusetts victory.
The Minutemen are scheduled to resume Atlantic 10 Conference play on Fri., April 16 hosting La Salle at 3 p.m. from Earl Lorden Field.
Follow UMass baseball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @UMassBaseball.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Henry, Jared (2-0)
L: Healy, T. (1-2)
S: Wittman, Tucker (1)
Batting:
2B: Stadnicki, K. 1 ; Joyce, T. 1
RBI: Stadnicki, K. 3 ; Joyce, T. 2 ; Dolbashian, B. 1
SF: Dolbashian, B. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Haba, A. 1 ; Golankiewicz, M. 2 ; Shumski, N. 2 ; Skurbe, B. 1 ; Stadnicki, K. 1 ; Dolbashian, B. 1
HBP: Haba, A. 1 ; Shumski, N. 2 ; Joyce, T. 1
PO: Elliott, S. 1
Batting:
2B: Rounds, Michael 1 ; Gervasi, Mike 2
HR: Judd, Dylan 1
RBI: Judd, Dylan 3 ; Gervasi, Mike 2 ; Skagerlind, Kevin 2
SH: Skagerlind, Kevin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hart, Eddy 2 ; Judd, Dylan 2 ; Rounds, Michael 1 ; Wilde, Aidan 2 ; Gervasi, Mike 2
CS: Hart, Eddy 1
HBP: Hart, Eddy 1 ; Pearsons, Chris 1
