University of Massachusets Athletics
Tuesday, May 4
Amherst, Mass.
4 p.m.
University of Massachusetts
13-26
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Boston College
19-23
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9
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Boston College
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Massachusetts
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Photo by: Thom Kendall - UMass Athletics
Massachusetts Downs Boston College, 3-2
May 04, 2021 | Baseball
Hart scores go-ahead run on wild pitch in eighth inning
AMHERST, Mass. – Eddy Hart came sprinting home on a wild pitch to give Massachusetts a 3-2 eighth inning lead, and Tucker Wittman retired Boston College 1-2-3 in the ninth to secure the victory over the Eagles on Tuesday evening at Earl Lorden Field.
It is UMass' second straight win over the Eagles, marking the first such feat since the squad defeated BC in four straight from 2009-13.
Center fielder Kevin Skagerlind and Hart, at shortstop, each contributed two hits for a Massachusetts squad that totaled nine for the day. Second baseman Aidan Wilde clubbed his second homer of the season, and Hart along with first baseman Steve Luttazi doubled as well.
Max LeBlanc was wonderful on the mound, going six innings in the start with a career-best eight strikeouts against two runs on four hits and three walks. He fanned two batters in three different innings, being relieved in the seventh by Matt Aronson before Wittman worked the final two innings.
UMass was first to the scoreboard, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning. A two-out double off Luttazi's bat came ahead of a single from right fielder Michael Rounds, perfectly placed against the infield shift and skipping into left field for Luttazi to score.
BC tied it up at one-apiece in the Eagles' half of the fourth. Cody Morissette led off with a double to right field, moving to third and later scoring on a pair of grounders.
Leading off the fifth, Wilde went opposite field on the first pitch he saw, sending the ball over the right-center field bushes and giving Massachusetts the 2-1 advantage.
That lead was short-lived though as the Eagles leveled the score at two in the top of the sixth with a two-out rally. Luke Gold started the sequence with a single, moved to second on Jack Cunningham's walk, and came around when an infield single by Vince Cimini took an odd hop and allowed Gold to take the turn home.
Aronson worked out of a seventh-inning jam unharmed, fanning Morissette with runners at the corners to end the threat. Then in the eighth, Rounds tracked down a fly ball in foul territory for the out, then fired an absolute laser to Hart covering second to nail Cimini in an attempt to move up on the play.
In the last of the eighth, Hart sent a 1-2 pitch into the right field corner to move Skagerlind up to third with one out. After Judd was intentionally walked, Skagerlind was thrown out at home on the force with a grounder to third for the second out. Then, with an 0-1 count on Luttazi, the next pitch went to the backstop and allowed Hart to slide in at home with the go-ahead run.
BC never hit the ball out of the infield in the ninth, as Dante Baldelli grounded out to short, Wittman caught Daniel Baruch looking and Parker Landwehr sent the 1-1 pitch back to the mound on one hop. Wittman came up with the ball, jogged toward first and flipped to Luttazi ending the ballgame.
It was Wittman's win on the mound in relief, and the loss went to the Eagles' Joe Vetrano.
With final exams ahead, the Minutemen are off from competition until Friday, May 14 when the squad begins a four-game Atlantic 10 series against St. Bonaventure. First pitch in the series opener is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Earl Lorden Field.
It is UMass' second straight win over the Eagles, marking the first such feat since the squad defeated BC in four straight from 2009-13.
Center fielder Kevin Skagerlind and Hart, at shortstop, each contributed two hits for a Massachusetts squad that totaled nine for the day. Second baseman Aidan Wilde clubbed his second homer of the season, and Hart along with first baseman Steve Luttazi doubled as well.
Max LeBlanc was wonderful on the mound, going six innings in the start with a career-best eight strikeouts against two runs on four hits and three walks. He fanned two batters in three different innings, being relieved in the seventh by Matt Aronson before Wittman worked the final two innings.
UMass was first to the scoreboard, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning. A two-out double off Luttazi's bat came ahead of a single from right fielder Michael Rounds, perfectly placed against the infield shift and skipping into left field for Luttazi to score.
BC tied it up at one-apiece in the Eagles' half of the fourth. Cody Morissette led off with a double to right field, moving to third and later scoring on a pair of grounders.
Leading off the fifth, Wilde went opposite field on the first pitch he saw, sending the ball over the right-center field bushes and giving Massachusetts the 2-1 advantage.
That lead was short-lived though as the Eagles leveled the score at two in the top of the sixth with a two-out rally. Luke Gold started the sequence with a single, moved to second on Jack Cunningham's walk, and came around when an infield single by Vince Cimini took an odd hop and allowed Gold to take the turn home.
Aronson worked out of a seventh-inning jam unharmed, fanning Morissette with runners at the corners to end the threat. Then in the eighth, Rounds tracked down a fly ball in foul territory for the out, then fired an absolute laser to Hart covering second to nail Cimini in an attempt to move up on the play.
In the last of the eighth, Hart sent a 1-2 pitch into the right field corner to move Skagerlind up to third with one out. After Judd was intentionally walked, Skagerlind was thrown out at home on the force with a grounder to third for the second out. Then, with an 0-1 count on Luttazi, the next pitch went to the backstop and allowed Hart to slide in at home with the go-ahead run.
BC never hit the ball out of the infield in the ninth, as Dante Baldelli grounded out to short, Wittman caught Daniel Baruch looking and Parker Landwehr sent the 1-1 pitch back to the mound on one hop. Wittman came up with the ball, jogged toward first and flipped to Luttazi ending the ballgame.
It was Wittman's win on the mound in relief, and the loss went to the Eagles' Joe Vetrano.
With final exams ahead, the Minutemen are off from competition until Friday, May 14 when the squad begins a four-game Atlantic 10 series against St. Bonaventure. First pitch in the series opener is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Earl Lorden Field.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wittman, Tucker (2-2)
L: Vetrano, Joe (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Frelick, Sal 1 ; Morissette, Cody 1
RBI: Cunningham, Jack 1 ; Cimini, Vince 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Morissette, Cody 1 ; Gold, Luke 1
SB: Cimini, Vince 1
Batting:
2B: Hart, Eddy 1 ; Luttazi, Steve 1
HR: Wilde, Aidan 1
RBI: Rounds, Michael 1 ; Wilde, Aidan 1
SH: Skagerlind, Kevin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hart, Eddy 1 ; Luttazi, Steve 1 ; Wilde, Aidan 1
CS: Shapiro, Collin 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
cf/rf
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballRHP
/ Baseball1B
/ BaseballRHP/DH
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball3B
/ BaseballLHP
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