MANSFIELD, Conn. – Sophomore Gianni Zarrilli, Jr. (South Glastonbury, Conn.) lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to plate the eventual game-winning run as the University of Massachusetts Boston edged intra-state rival University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 2-1, this afternoon in the opening game of the 2021 Little East Conference Baseball Championship at Eastern Baseball Stadium.
Fifth-seeded UMass Boston (10-7) advances to play top-seeded Eastern Connecticut (29-4) this afternoon at 4:45pm, while the fourth-seeded Corsairs await the loser of Game 2 at 1pm on Saturday, May 15.
The Beacons drew a lead-off walk in the top of the 10th inning and junior Thomas Cue (Shrewsbury, Mass.) hit a seeing-eye single through the left side of the infield. UMass Boston took advantage of an errant pick-off attempt to advance both runners into scoring position. The Corsairs turned to senior
Logan Maitland (Tiverton, R.I.), but Zarrilli lifted an 0-2 pitch far enough into left field to score the decisive unearned run. Maitland set down three of the next four batters he faced to limit the damage and keep the hosts within striking distance.
UMass Dartmouth broke through in the fifth inning, when senior
Jose Vasquez (Roxbury, Mass.) doubled to right field and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. The Beacons struck out a Corsair batter, but third strike skipped away from the catcher allowing Vasquez to scamper home to score the equalizer.
Neither team was able to cross the plate over the subsequent four innings. The Beacons put two runners on in the seventh, but graduate student
Robbie Carrillo (Melrose, Mass.) came out of the bullpen to record a short fly out and induced an inning-ending ground ball double play to escape the jam. UMass Boston loaded the bases in the ninth with two outs, but Carrillo kept the game tied with a fly ball to right field.
UMass Boston sophomore Alex Amalfi (Ashland, Mass.) allowed just three hits over nine innings to earn his first victory of the campaign. Amalfi retired the final 11 batters he faced before giving way to classmate Dillon Ryan (Sandwich, Mass.). Ryan worked a 1-2-3 10th inning to record first save of the year.
Sophomore
Ryan Qualey (Woburn, Mass.) gave up an RBI single in the first inning, but settled down to throw six-plus innings. The sophomore right-hander allowed three hits and issued four walks, but struck out eight over 91 pitches. Carrillo scattered two hits and three walks, while striking out two in three scoreless innings of relief. Senior Zach Delvecchio (Braintree, Mass.) (0-1) allowed the first two base runners to advance in the 10th to suffer the loss.
UMass Dartmouth was limited to three extra base hits and four total base runners. Sophomore
DJ Perron (Swansea, Mass.) tripled, while senior
Jose Vasquez (Roxbury, Mass.) and first-year
Matthew Klett (Barnstable, Mass.) each doubled, while senior
Erick Ramirez (Boston, Mass.) drew a walk.
