Box Score DARTMOUTH, Mass. – A late push by the Corsairs was not enough on Tuesday afternoon as the Hawks of Roger Williams defeated UMass Dartmouth 7-6 in non-conference action. UMass Dartmouth drops its second straight game and falls to 6-6 on the year, while Roger Williams improves to 8-7-1.
Sophomore Kenny Michael (Norwood, Mass.) hit a three-run home run in the first inning and added one more RBI in the bottom of the eighth to finish the afternoon with four RBI to pace the Corsairs' offense.
The Hawks got on the board quick, scoring one run in the bottom of the first inning on an errant Corsair, scoring freshman Chris Bosco (North Andover, Mass.) from third base.
The Corsairs answered back in the bottom of the frame. Freshman Erick Ramirez (Boston, Mass.) stroked a double down the left field line. Senior Connor Shaw (Goffstown, NH.) drew a one-out walk, before Michael blasted his home run to put UMass Dartmouth up 3-1.
After the first inning, both pitchers got into a groove, and neither team could produce much until the top of the sixth inning. Sophomore Matt Moskal (Hamden, Conn.) led off the frame with a double to left field. Sophomore Shane Nowak (Litchfield, NH.) singled to left field, scoring Moskal from second to cut the Corsairs' lead in half. After an infield single, freshman Eli Camner (Hamden, Conn.) singled to left field, scoring Nowak to tie the game.
The Hawks then regained the lead in the top of the seventh. Jamie Timothy (Cohasset, Mass.) led off the inning with a near homerun to center field, but sophomore Ervin Kantardzic (Roslindale, Mass.) pulled it back in play for a double. Timothy advanced to third on an infield single and would then score on a throwing error. Shawn Cariglio (Milford, Conn.) doubled to left field to score two more runs for the Hawks before UMass Dartmouth could get out of the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth inning the Corsairs closed the gap. With no outs, Michael drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring freshman Jimmy Folco (Portsmouth, RI.) from third. Sophomore Jose Vasquez (Roxbury, Mass.) reached on an error by the second baseman, scoring Kantardzic. The Corsairs added one more run with two outs, when Mac Curran (Lakeville, Mass.) drew a walk, scoring Shaw from third.
Despite Kantardzic reaching base on a long single in the bottom of the ninth, the Corsairs couldn't put up another run.
Senior Aaron Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.) got the start for the Corsairs, giving up seven hits and striking out eight over six solid innings of work. Sophomore Benjamin Lodge (Blackstone, Mass.) took the loss in 0.2 innings of relief. Sophomore Jimmy Smith (Walpole, Mass.) collected the win for the visitors, going 7.1 innings, striking out nine while scattering five hits. Senior Tyler Campo (Wrentham, Mass.) picked up the save for Roger Williams.
UMass Dartmouth will return to action on Thursday, when the Lancers of Worcester State come to Dartmouth for a 3 p.m. start time.
