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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
5-9, 1-7
Kent State
17-4, 7-1
Baseball Drops Game Two To Kent State, 9-3
March 21, 2026 | Baseball
The Minutemen set for the series finale on Sunday, March 22, at 12 p.m. in Hartford, Conn.
UMass fell to 5-9 overall on the season and 1-7 in the Mid-American Conference, while Kent State improved to 17-4 overall and 7-1 in the league.
Gavin O'Brien and Jack Beverly had two hits each, which included a doble from Beverly. Anthony Tirado and Vance Bonior both registered a hit, as Bonior recorded his first double of the season. Will Briggs and Bonior tallied one RBI apiece, as Tirado, Reece McCarthy and Beverly all scored a run.
Massachusetts took an early 1-0 lead in the opening frame. Tirado led off the inning with a single down the left field line, before advancing to third on a passed ball. Ty Fox then walked. Fox was caught stealing second, as Tirado left third on the throw down by the Kent State catcher. Tirado slid into home and gave UMass its first run of the day.
Kent State scored one run on a sacrifice fly in the third to knot the game up at 1-1. The Golden Flashes tacked on eight runs in the top of the fifth to take a 9-1 lead.
UMass added another run on an RBI double from Bonior to score Beverly in the bottom of the fifth and make it a 9-2 contest.
In the sixth, the Minutemen put up a run to make it a 9-3 game. McCarthy crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Briggs.
The two teams remained scoreless through the final three innings as Kent State held on to the 9-3 win.
Adam Merritt (0-2) had the loss for UMass, allowing six runs on two hits, walking four and striking out a career-best five in 4.2 innings of work.
Easton Tumis (4-1) earned the win for Kent State, giving up two runs on four hits, a walk and striking out three in five complete innings.
Massachusetts and Kent State set for a 12 p.m. contest to conclude the series on Sunday, March 22 at Murren Family Field at DiBenedetto Stadium in Hartford, Connecticut.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tumis, Easton (4-1)
L: Merritt, Adam (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Solitaria, Sawyer 1
3B: Marshall, Brady 1 ; Rienstra-Kirac, Micah 1 ; Klotz, Hunter 1
HR: Williams, Brody 1
RBI: Reese, Ripken 1 ; Belcher, Nolan 1 ; Humphrey, Max 1 ; Williams, Brody 3 ; Klotz, Hunter 1
SF: Humphrey, Max 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Matthews, Luke 1 ; Marshall, Brady 2 ; Reese, Ripken 1 ; Belcher, Nolan 1 ; Williams, Brody 1 ; Rienstra-Kirac, Micah 1 ; Klotz, Hunter 1 ; Solitaria, Sawyer 1
SB: Matthews, Luke 1 ; Marshall, Brady 2 ; Humphrey, Max 2 ; Rienstra-Kirac, Micah 1 ; Solitaria, Sawyer 1
CS: Schaller, Kolton 1 ; Klotz, Hunter 1
HBP: Matthews, Luke 1 ; Marshall, Brady 1 ; Klotz, Hunter 1
Batting:
2B: Bonior, Vance 1 ; Beverly, Jack 1
RBI: Bonior, Vance 1 ; Briggs, Will 1
SF: Briggs, Will 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McCarthy, Reece 1 ; Tirado, Anthony 1 ; Beverly, Jack 1
CS: Fox, Ty 1
HBP: Bonior, Vance 1 ; Kolben, Ryan 1
