PLYMOUTH, N.H. — Senior
Erick Ramirez (Boston, Mass.) ripped a RBI single through the left side of the infield to power the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to a 5-4 Little East Conference walk-off victory this afternoon against Plymouth State University at Parish Field.
The Corsairs improved their overall record to 4-9 on the campaign and 3-5 in the conference circuit, while the Panthers slipped below .500 with an overall mark of 5-6 and 1-5 in LEC play. The second game of the conference doubleheader was cancelled due to impending weather and will be played at 12pm on Saturday, April 17 in Dartmouth.
UMass Dartmouth (4-9, 3-5 LEC) first-year
Matthew Klett (Barnstable, Mass.) led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a five-pitch walk and advanced to second on sophomore
Andrew Bryant's (Canton, Mass.) sacrifice bunt. Plymouth State decided to intentionally walk senior
JR DiSarcina (Barnstable, Mass.) to set up the possibility of a double play. Ramirez wasted little time in the batter's box, driving the 2-2 offering between the shortstop and third baseman to score Klett from second. This is the second time Ramirez has delivered a dramatic, walk-off hit this season, most recently against then-eighth ranked Southern Maine on March 26.
Plymouth State junior Noah Wachter (Concord, N.H.) carried a two-run lead into the seventh, but UMass Dartmouth finally solved the left-hander by stringing together a single, walk, and hit batsman to load the bases with one-out. Sophomore
Wilcar Moreno (Providence, R.I.) drove a single up the middle to plate a pair of runs to tie the ball game at 2 and chased Wachter. UMass Dartmouth was unable to push across the go-ahead run, stranding two runners in scoring position.
The Panthers quickly regained their two-run advantage in the top of the eighth, but the Corsairs responded with a pair of runs in the home half. Sophomore
DJ Perron (Swansea, Mass.) ticketed a two-out, RBI double into the right centerfield and senior
Jose Vasquez (Roxbury, Mass.) followed suit with a double to centerfield to plate the tying run.
Senior
Ryan Bruning (Centerville, Mass.) made his team-leading fourth start of the season and scattered nine hits and an unearned run over six innings to earn a no-decision. Graduate student
Robbie Carrillo (Melrose, Mass.) earned his first win of the season, giving up two runs, only one of which as earned, on two hits and two walks in two innings of relief.
Perron paced the UMass Dartmouth seven-hit attack with a 2-for-4 showing at the plate and two runs scored. Moreno reached base safely twice with a single and a walk in two appearances, while Vasquez and Ramirez each registered an RBI. Ramirez extended his personal hit streak to a team-best seven games, while Vasquez raised his to four contests.
Sophomore Richie Marique (Derry, N.H.) was the tough-luck loser for the Panthers, allowing three runs on three hits in two innings of relief.
