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University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
5-12, 1-9
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Western Michigan
11-12, 7-3
Baseball Falters In Game One At Western Michigan, 6-2
March 27, 2026 | Baseball
Minutemen and Broncos prepare for game two on Saturday at 2:05 p.m.
UMass moved to 5-12 overall on the season and 1-9 in the Mid-American Conference, while Western Michigan improved to 11-12 overall and 7-3 in the MAC.
Gavin O'Brien went 3-for-3 on the afternoon with two doubles, and added an RBI. Anthony Tirado tallied a hit and scored a run. Will Briggs also had a run, and Braden Sullivan posted an RBI.
Both teams were scoreless through the first three innings, before UMass put a run on the board in the fourth. After one out, Briggs was hit by a pitch to take his place at first. He then stole second with Reece McCarthy at the plate. McCarthy was walked, followed by O'Brien being hit by a pitch to load up the bases. Sullivan stepped up to the plate and saw four straight pitches, with Briggs coming home to make room for Sullivan and make it a 1-0 game.
Western Michigan knotted up the game at 1-1, in the fifth inning, on a sacrifice fly. The Broncos took the lead, 3-1, in the sixth with a two-run double.
The Minutemen took a run back in the top of the eighth to make it a 3-2 game. Tirado led off the inning with a single to left field, before running to second on a grounder and advancing to third on a balk. With two on base, O'Brien later stepped up and hit a single to right center field to drive home Tirado.
The Broncos scored three more runs in the bottom half of the eighth to lead, 6-2. Western Michigan was able to hang on for the win with three consecutive outs in the top of the ninth.
Callen Powers (1-3) had the loss for Massachusetts, allowing three runs on six hits, a walk and dealing five strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Zach Vriesenga (2-1) received the winning decision for Western Michigan, going six innings and giving up one run on two hits, walking two and striking out four. Turner Doran earned his fifth save, with no runs, hits or walks allowed and no strikeouts through 1.1 innings.
Massachusetts and Western Michigan prepare for game two on Saturday, March 28, at 2:05 p.m., at Hyames Field.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: VRIESENGA, Zach (2-1)
L: Powers, Callen (1-3)
S: DORAN, Turner (5)
Batting:
2B: O'Brien, Gavin 2
RBI: O'Brien, Gavin 1 ; Sullivan, Braden 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tirado, Anthony 1 ; Briggs, Will 1
SB: Briggs, Will 1
CS: Briggs, Will 1 ; May, Randen 1
HBP: Briggs, Will 1 ; O'Brien, Gavin 1
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Batting:
2B: MENNECKE, Mark 1
RBI: MENNECKE, Mark 3 ; OSTRANDER, Connor 1 ; PILARSKI, Mason 2
SF: PILARSKI, Mason 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MALLY, Tanner 1 ; HOWARD, Drew 2 ; MALONEY, Michael 2 ; MENNECKE, Mark 1
CS: HOWARD, Drew 1 ; MENNECKE, Mark 1 ; HUMS, Cooper 1
HBP: MALLY, Tanner 1 ; HOWARD, Drew 1 ; OSTRANDER, Connor 1
