DARTMOUTH, Mass. - Senior
Erick Ramirez (Boston, Mass.) laced a two-out, RBI single through the middle of the infield to lift the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to a 6-5 extra inning victory over nationally-ranked University of Southern Maine this afternoon to earn a split of the season-opening Little East Conference baseball doubleheader. The No. 8-ranked Huskies launched four home runs to power the visitors to a 13-8 win in the opening contest.
Senior
Jose Vasquez (Roxbury, Mass.) led off the bottom of the 11th inning by capping a nine-pitch at-bat with a single to left field. Sophomore
Nick Cote (Londonderry, N.H.) entered the contest as a pinch runner and stole second base to move into scoring position. With one-out, pinch hitter junior
Kyle Denis (Warwick, R.I.) was issued an intentional walk. Denis avoided a tag by the second baseman on a potential inning-ending double play to put runners at second and third for Ramirez. The senior shortstop quickly fell behind in the count 0-2, but ripped a single past the pitcher into center field to plate the game-winning run for the Corsairs (1-1, 1-1 LEC).
UMass Dartmouth senior
Logan Maitland (Tiverton, R.I.) was masterful in relief, limiting the high-powered Southern Maine (5-1, 1-1) offensive attack to just one hit and an unearned run, while striking out six in four innings of work. Maitland surrendered an opposite-field single to the first batter he faced, but settled in to retire 12 of the final 14 Husky hitters. He set Southern Maine down in order in the 11th to give the hosts an opportunity for late-game heroics.
The Corsairs raced out to an early 3-0 advantage in the top of the first inning, when sophomore
DJ Perron (Swansea, Mass.) lifted a three-run homer over the left field fence. UMass Dartmouth carried its advantage into the third frame. Southern Maine cracked the scoring column on a wild pitch and freshman Cam Seymour registered a two-out, two-run single into right field to forge a 3-all tie. The hosts regained their led in the bottom of the sixth as sophomore
Andrew Bryant (Canton, Mass.) tucked a two-run double inside the first base bag to plate junior
Zak Souza (Fall River, Mass.) and Vasquez.
The Huskies were able to capitalized on a UMassD defensive miscue in the top of the eighth to tie the ball game at 5-5. After a pair of singles to lead off the inning, Southern Maine executed a sacrifice bunt but an errant throw allowed both runners to cross the plate and force extra innings. Both teams had a runner in scoring position in the 10th, but were able to escape their respective jams.
Senior
Ryan Bruning (Centerville, Mass.) earned the start for the Corsairs and worked four innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits. Classmate
Dean Streich (North Kingstown, R.I.) was effective in his three innings of relief, surrendering an unearned run and just two hits.
Joshua Joy allowed five runs on seven hits for the Huskies, while striking out five and issuing a walk. Gage Feeney (1-1) suffered the loss after tossing 2.1 innings in relief.
GAME 1 | Southern Maine 13, UMass Dartmouth 8
Seymour made an immediate impact in his first career Little East Conference contest, posting a 4-for-5 performance at the plate with a double, 3 home runs, and eight RBI to power Southern Maine to a 13-8 victory. He matched the Huskies single-game record with three round trippers, while falling one RBI shy of establishing a new single-game standard. Seymour belted a 2-run homer in the fourth inning to give Southern Maine a 3-2 lead.
The visitors extended their lead to 6-2 lead in the fifth inning before Perron stemmed the tide with a RBI double to left field to cut the deficit in half at 6-3. Seymour gave the Huskies their largest lead of the contest, when he drilled a grand slam over the center field fence.
UMass Dartmouth was able to build some momentum in the seventh, when the Corsairs scored four runs. Ramirez laced a RBI single through the left side and advanced to third base on a Husky defensive miscue. Ramirez raced home on a wild pitch to close the gap to 10-5. Senior
Mike Knell (Dennis, Mass.) greeted relief pitcher Colton Lawrence with a no-doubt two-run homer over the tree line in center field to close the gap to 10-7.
Southern Maine scored three insurance runs, including a two-run shot from Seymour, in the ninth inning to put the contest out of reach.
Ben Lambert tossed 6.1 innings to earn the victory for the Huskies. He gave up six runs, five of which were earned, on eight hits, while striking out four. Bryce Afthim was credited with the seven-out save as he held the Corsairs to one run on two hits.
Graduate student
Robbie Carrillo (Melrose, Mass.) surrendered six runs on seven hits and a walk, while fanning two in 6.1 innings of work. Sophomore
Ryan Qualey (Woburn, Mass.) tossed two innings of relief, while junior
Mike Sollitto (North Providence, R.I.), senior
Zack DelVecchio (Braintree, Mass.), sophomore
Matt Seavey (North Attleboro, Mass.) eached worked an inning in relief.
UMass Dartmouth will return to action at 12pm on Saturday, March 27, when the Corsairs travel to Southern Maine for a non-conference doubleheader.
