Box Score BRIDGEWATER, MA- The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's baseball team dropped a 6-3 decision to host Bridgewater State in a non-conference game at Alumni Park Monday.
The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when they got four hits off UMass Dartmouth freshman starter Nate Farias (Fall River, MA/Durfee HS). The third hit, by first baseman David Pierce, drove in Sean Riley to make it 1-0.
Sophomore designated hitter Bedward Ortiz (La Vega, DR/Worcester Doherty HS) singled home a run in the top of the second to tie the game, but BSU got an RBI single from center fielder John Garabedian in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead.
Freshman center Mike LaFlamme (Bedford, NH/Bedford HS/Tampa) scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fifth to tie the score, but Keane Costa scored for BSU on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth to allow BSU to re-take the lead.
The Bears added three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Garabedian led off, reached on an error by freshman third baseman Ryan Medeiros (Acushnet, MA/New Bedford HS/Eckerd), and scored on a subsequent single by designated hitter Jose Polanco. Second baseman Sean Riley scored on a wild pitch and Costa singled home the final run of the inning.
UMD rallied in the ninth when freshman right fielder Luke Bomback (Swansea, MA/Case HS) doubled home freshman first baseman Alex Newton (Saco, ME/Thornton Academy/Franklin Pierce), but BSU pitcher Kenny Pennini got freshman left fielder Andy Ekstrom (Millbury, MA/Millbury HS) to fly out to center field for the final out of the game.
Pennini went all the way for the Bears and earned the win to improve to 2-2. Farias, who allowed two earned runs in pitching the first seven innings, took the loss and fell to 1-2.
"Quite honestly, we didn't play well for the majority of the game," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Bob Prince. "Nate pitched well enough to get us a win. He pitched out of a lot of situations with men on base. We didn't play very well defensively, and we didn't do a good enough job of adjusting to their pitcher. We hung around, but we didn't really put ourselves in a position to win."
UMass Dartmouth dropped to 10-7 with the defeat, while the Bears improved to 11-11 with the victory. The Corsairs will return to action when they host Newbury Tuesday.
UMASS DARTMOUTH BASEBALL
