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Box Score 2 DARTMOUTH, Mass. - UMass Dartmouth received two timely hits in two walk-off victories against Eastern Connecticut, both in extra innings on Senior Day. Saturday marked the first time the Corsairs have swept the Warriors in the regular season since the inception of the Little East Conference in 1997. With the sweep, the Corsairs improve to 16-18 and 7-5 in the league, while the Warriors fall to 19-13 and 7-4 in conference play.
Corsairs 3, Warriors 2 – 11 innings
Senior David Tarr (Easton, Mass.) threw 3.2 innings in relief, allowing just one hit as the Corsairs come out on top in the 11th inning.
Neither team could get their offense going in the later stages of the game, until freshman Alex Parkos (Meriden, Conn.) tripled to left field, tying the game up at two in the top of the sixth. That score would hold through regulation, as neither squad could convert on several stranded baserunners
No runner for either team passed second base until the bottom of the 11th in extra baseball. UMass Dartmouth sophomore Ervin Kantardzic (Roslindale, Mass.) singled through the left side of the Warriors'alignment, and advanced to second on the balk. Freshman Erick Ramirez (Boston, Mass.) then stepped to the plate and drove in the game-winning run on a single to center field, when the ECSU throw to the plate sailed high.
Tarr received his third win on the campaign after coming on for sophomore Mac Curran (Lakeville, Mass.). Curran went 7.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out six. Freshman Nick Rascati (Wallington, Conn.) took the loss for the Warriors upon going 2.1 innings in relief.
Corsairs 10, Warriors – 14 Innings
Senior Aaron Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.) threw six innings of shutout baseball for UMass Dartmouth, and fellow senior Connor Shaw (Goffstown, N.H.) delivered the final blow, by flaring the game winning single to left field in the bottom of the 14th inning to continue the dramatics in game two.
ECSU came out of the gates hot, scoring seven runs in the first six innings of the game. The Warriors peppered the diamond beginning in the second, when Mike Funaro (Northford, Conn.) drove a two-RBI single up the middle, followed by an RBI single from Pat Sirois (Cromwell, Conn.). Two more crossed the plate in the third, and an Alex Zachary (Enfield, Conn.) added to the total in the fifth.
The Corsairs came roaring back in the seventh inning, putting an eight spot up for the frame. In the seventh, UMass Dartmouth brought 12 batters to the plate, and scored six of the eight runs with two outs. The Corsair rally was capped off by sophomore Jose Vasquez (Roxbury, Mass.), who blasted his first collegiate grand slam over the left field fence to tie the game at eight apiece. Brandon Polignone (Peabody, Mass.) added one more run to give the Corsairs their first lead of the game.
The Warriors tied the game up at nine in the top of the eighth when Parkos singled up the middle to send the game to extras.
In the extra frames, both teams had their chances to end it early. ECSU loaded the bases in the top of the 10th, before Chouinard induced a ground ball to the first baseman.
In the bottom of the 12th, after a leadoff double from Vasquez, the Warriors would get the Corsairs to ground out, foul out, and ground out in order to strand the runner in scoring position.
In the bottom of the 14th, the Corsairs finally came through. Adam Gay (Kingston, Mass.) led off the inning with a single through the left side. Taylor Cacciola (West Greenwich, R.I.) then sacrificed Gay to second on a bunt. ECSU then intentionally walked Vasquez, before Kenny Michael (Norwood, Mass.) ripped a single off the Warrior third baseman's glove to load the bases. After a full-count strike out, Shaw singled to center field, getting enough on the ball to plate Gay and complete the day.
Chouinard took the win, striking out five. Junior Sean Callahan (Colchester, V.T.) got the start and threw five innings while fanning three. Callahan was followed by seniors Steve Colella (Leominster, Mass.), Matt Russell (Townsend, Mass.) and sophomore Matt Cronin (Framingham, Mass.). All three relievers tossed one inning and allowed just one run apiece.
The loss went to junior Sam Kosterich (Stamford, Conn.) who threw 6.1 innings and scattered four hits. Freshman Jordan Muchin (West Hartford, Conn.) got the start for the visiting Warriors and lasted 6.2 innings, before he got the hook after allowing a two-out triple to DeVon King (Carver, Mass.) that sparked the Corsairs' comeback.
UMass Dartmouth starts a full week of action on Tuesday, when they travel to Norton, Mass. to take on the Lyons of Wheaton (Mass.), currently ranked No. 4 in the Northeast. Eastern Connecticut will continue conference play with a single-game makeup from earlier in the week against Western Connecticut tomorrow.
