University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
18-22, 8-7
Saint Joseph's
17-22, 6-9
Massachusetts Baseball Outlasts Saint Joseph’s, 10-9, To Complete Sweep
April 28, 2024 | Baseball
Gervasi walks it off for the Minutemen with a solo homer in the ninth.
UMass improved to 18-22 overall on the year, including 8-7 in the Atlantic 10 with the win, while Saint Joseph's moved to 17-22 overall and 6-9 in the league. The victory also marked the first series sweep of the season for the Minutemen.
Kevin Skagerlind went 3-for-4 on the day with his first home run of the season, a team-best three runs and one RBI. Gervasi, Carter Hanson and Michael Toth followed with two hits each, while Gervasi and Toth recorded their 11th and third homers of the year, respectively. Gervasi and Toth led the team in RBI with three apiece with Hanson adding two RBI. Austin Burgess tallied two runs on the day.
After two scoreless innings, Saint Joseph's got on the board first in the third with a one out solo home run. Massachusetts took back the run to tie up at 1-1 in the fourth as Skagerlind led off with a solo long ball over the left field wall for his first of the season.
The Minutemen extended their lead in the fifth, scoring six more runs, making it a 7-1 contest. Hanson started the frame off with a single to right field, before Braden Sullivan was walked. Toth blasted a three-run shot to left field, marking his third of the season and second in back-to-back games. After two singles from Jack Peters and Skagerlind, Burgess hit a single of his own to send Peters home to make it 5-1. Matt Travisano loaded up the bases after being hit by a pitch, with Hanson recording a two RBI single with two outs to push Skagerlind and Burgess across the dish.
SJU tallied another run on a solo homer in the sixth, before adding two more on a two-run home run in the top of the seventh, making it a 7-4 game. In the bottom half of the seventh, the Minutemen loaded up the bases with a single, a hit-by-pitch and a walk. Gervasi stepped up to the plate and singled through the left side, driving in Skagerlind and Burgess to push ahead 9-4.
The Hawks scored five runs in the top of the eighth to knot the game up at 9-9. With one out in the ninth, Gervasi clubbed his 11th homer of the year to walk off a 10-9 triumph for the Minutemen.
Leif Bigelow (4-2) earned his second winning decision of the series for Massachusetts after allowing one run on three hits and dealing two strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work. Alec Rodriguez (0-3) took the loss for Saint Joseph's, pitching 2.1 innings and giving up one run, three hits, a walk and striking out three.
Massachusetts welcomes Quinnipiac to the Earl on Wednesday, May 1, for a 3 p.m. contest.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bigelow, Leif (4-2)
L: RODRIGUEZ, Alec (0-3)
Batting:
2B: WALL, Conlan 1
HR: WEINGARTNER, Ryan 2 ; ZIMMERMAN, Luke 1
RBI: WALL, Conlan 2 ; CESARINI, Ryan 1 ; WEINGARTNER, Ryan 3 ; PETRICH, Owen 1 ; IGOE, Justin 1 ; ZIMMERMAN, Luke 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WALL, Conlan 1 ; CESARINI, Ryan 2 ; WEINGARTNER, Ryan 3 ; PICOLLO, Ryan 1 ; ZIMMERMAN, Luke 1 ; MYERS, Colin 1
SB: DICKINSON, Tim 1
HBP: DICKINSON, Tim 1
PO: ZIMMERMAN, Luke 1
Batting:
HR: Skagerlind, Kevin 1 ; Gervasi, Mike 1 ; Toth, Michael 1
RBI: Skagerlind, Kevin 1 ; Burgess, Austin 1 ; Gervasi, Mike 3 ; Hanson, Carter 2 ; Toth, Michael 3
SH: Peters, Jack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Skagerlind, Kevin 3 ; Burgess, Austin 2 ; Gervasi, Mike 1 ; Hanson, Carter 1 ; Sullivan, Braden 1 ; Toth, Michael 1 ; Peters, Jack 1
CS: Skagerlind, Kevin 1
HBP: Skagerlind, Kevin 1 ; Burgess, Austin 1 ; Travisano, Matt 1
