Corsairs Advance to 6-0 with Two Wins Over Concordia College (Minn.)

DAVENPORT, Fla. – The UMass Dartmouth baseball team tallied 14 combined runs in the doubleheader sweep of Concordia College (Minn.) on Thursday. The Corsairs (6-0), thanks to some last-inning heroics, won 7-4 in game one. They then carried their momentum into a 7-1 victory over the Cobbers (2-4) in game two. Both games were played at the Northeast Regional Park as part of the 2023 RussMatt Invitational. 

With the contest tied at 4-4 heading into the seventh and final inning of game one, UMD rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh, beginning with a leadoff double from sophomore left fielder Scott Cromack. Right fielder Chase Stafford (Grad student) advanced Cromack to third base with a sac bunt. Cromack was then knocked in on a single from freshman center fielder Brett Baker. Baker stole second base, and then advanced to third on a passed ball. 
 
With one out and a runner on third, junior Matt Tempone came in to pinch hit for senior Adam Horowitz, but struck out swinging. Next up to the plate was senior first baseman Andrew Bryant who got on base with a walk. Senior shortstop DJ Perron came up big for the Corsairs once again with a single to score the runner on third, and advance Bryant to second. Bryant scored from second on a single to right field off the bat of junior catcher T.J. Keefe. The three-run inning gave UMD a cushion going into the bottom frame. 
 
Remaining on the mound for UMass Dartmouth was sophomore pitcher Andrew Steinhubel, who earned his second win of the season. Steinhubel struck out the first batter he faced in the final inning, then struck the next batter with a pitch to send him to first base. The next two batters for CC flied out and grounded out, giving Steinhubel and the Corsairs the 7-4 win.

The Corsairs saw Baker go 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs batted in, one run scored and a walk. Keefe added three hits on four at-bats, a run scored and an RBI, while Cromack had two runs score on the day with two RBI's on 2-for-2 from the plate. Steinhubel earned the win on the mound for the Corsairs, allowing no runs or hits and striking out three batters in his two innings pitched. 

For CC, junior infielder Chance Bye led the way with two hits, an RBI and a run scored. He was the only batter for the Cobbers with multiple hits in the game. CC had left 10 runners on base throughout the contest. On the mound for Concordia was sophomore Jacoby Nold for the first six innings, but sophomore Ethan Beyer shouldered the loss after coming in to pitch the seventh, surrendering the three go-ahead runs. 
 
Game two saw the Corsairs carry that offensive momentum straight into the opening frame as UMD opened up with a 2-0 advantage. Baker led off game two by tripling to right center. He was knocked home by Bryant who benefitted from an error on Concordia's sophomore second baseman, Jake Christianson. Bryant then advanced to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on another Christianson error off the bat of Keefe, giving UMD the early 2-0 lead.
 
Starting on the mound for UMass Dartmouth was freshman Aidan O'Donnell, who would go on to earn his first win of the season. 

The Corsairs struck again in the third as Perron solo-homered to right center field, marking his fourth of the season. It was Perron again who added to the Corsairs lead in the fifth inning. He led off the inning with his second solo-homerun of the game, making it five homers already this season, and putting UMD up comfortably, 4-0. 

Walking to the mound to start the sixth inning for the Corsairs was Sam Watts. Watts retired the first two batters before allowing a double to Concordia's senior left fielder Justin Kloster, who was knocked home by sophomore right fielder Caiden Kjelstrom for CC's only run of the contest.
 
In the bottom half of the sixth, the Corsairs added to their 4-1 lead. Freshman second baseman Jacob Moniz walked to lead it off, and then stole second. After Baker struck out, Stafford doubled tocenter field, advancing Moniz to third. Bryant popped out to the shortstop, and Perron was understandably intentionally walked after his two earlier homers. With the bases loaded and two outs, Keefe put a stamp on the contest with a double to right center, knocking home all three base runners, and giving the Corsairs a 7-1 lead. 
 
Freshman pitcher Geordan Jackson Murphy came in and struck out two Cobbers while closing the game for UMD. 

Keefe and Perron had outstanding games from the plate in game two. Peron went 2-for-3 with two homeruns, two RBI's, and scored three runs himself. Keefe went 2-for-3 with three RBI's. Baker, Stafford, and Moniz each had a hit and a run scored in game two. O'Donnell (1-0) was credited the win, allowing two hits and no runs while facing 16 batters and striking out four.
 
Concordia's designated hitter, sophomore Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe, led the way for the Cobbers with two hits on four at-bats. He was the onlyCC batter to earn multiple hits. The only run was scored by senior third baseman Matt Gruber who was knocked in by Kjelstrom. Senior pitcher Mitch Porter (0-1) surrendered the loss.

UMass Dartmouth is back in action on Friday when it faces Clarkson University for day five of their RussMatt Invitational schedule.