Box Score WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth baseball squad dropped a 7-3 decision to #15 Ramapo College Saturday afternoon at Chain O'Lakes Park to kick off the 2016 RussMatt Invitational in Winter Haven, Florida.
The Corsairs fall to 1-1 on the year, while the Roadrunners stay unbeaten to go to 5-0.
The first three innings came and went with only one hit. The Roadrunners broke the scoreless tie when sophomore Bobby Shannon (Mount Olive, N.J) laced a double down the third base line to score classmate Austin Unglaub (Sparta, N.J.). Ramapo would extend the lead to 3-0 in the next inning, with a sacrifice fly to right field by senior Scott Paulus (Washington, N.J.) that would score two runs.
The Corsairs would answer in the third. Sophomore Josh O'Neill (Halifax, Mass.) led off the inning by doubling to left field, and freshman DeVon King (Carver, Mass.) would set the table for junior Taylor Cacciola (West Greenwich, R.I.) by getting to first on a hit by pitch. Cacciola would be the front end of a back to back RBI singles, as sophomore Jack Harrington (Barnstable, Mass.) followed with one of his own, finding a gap in right center field to bring the Corsairs within one.
Ramapo would pull away in the bottom of the sixth when senior Joe Venturino (Barnegat Light, N.J.) doubled down the left field line, scoring both sophomore Matt Chemis (Sparta, N.J.) and Shannon to bring the lead to 5-2.
In the top of the seventh, freshman Erick Ramirez (Boston, Mass.) tripled down the left field line, before O'Neill sent the ball right up the middle for a RBI single.
The Roadrunners would tack on two more in the bottom of the eighth, including a home run by senior Ryan Rinsky (North Caldwell, N.J) to secure the 7-3 final score.
Senior Steve Collela (Leominster, Mass.) picked up the loss for the Corsairs, despite going five strong innings and striking out seven on the afternoon. Junior Eli Garcia (Trenton, N.J.) earned his first win on the year, going 5.1 innings with four strikeouts and giving up only two hits.
The Corsairs will be back in action when they take on Montclair State (N.J.) at Chain O'Lakes tomorrow, with first pitch coming at 9am.
