DAVENPORT, Fla. – Late inning dramatics in game one, coupled with an offensive explosion in game two helped lift the UMass Dartmouth baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on Sunday. The Corsairs (2-0) posted a come-from-behind, 9-8 win in game one, notching a 12-0 victory over the Engineers (0-2) in game two. Both games were played at the Northeast Regional Park as part of the 2023 RussMatt Invitational
Trailing by a 7-0 margin heading into the seventh inning, WPI mounted a huge comeback in game one, beginning with a leadoff walk from senior first baseman Kyle Johns. Junior infielder Nicholas Battaglino came on to pinch run as junior outfielder Jake DelMonte was hit by the pitch on the next at-bat to put runners on second and first.
A single to center by sophomore outfielder Gavin George advanced the runners and loaded the bases as another hit by pitch brought in the runner for the Engineers first run. The next batter was walked, bringing another run across the plate as the Corsairs made the change on the mound with sophomore
Josh Malcolm coning on in relief of starter
Ryan Qualey.
The Engineers went on to score as a wild pitch brought in George, while senior catcher Joe Salvon later singled to left to bring in another run. UMD was forced to make another pitching change as rookie Geordan Jackon Murphy came on for Malcolm, but a homerun to left by senior infielder Jeffrey Brennan quickly followed as the Engineers took the 8-7 advantage.
UMass Dartmouth headed into the bottom of the seventh looking to rebound. An inning opening walk to senior infielder
DJ Perron kicked things off as he advanced to second soon after on a wild pitch. Junior infielder
Jared Neikam walked to put two on for the Corsairs and another wild pitch later saw both Perron and pinch-runner
Jacob Moniz advance.
Junior
T.J. Keefe singled to third base, scoring Perron to tie the contest and the Corsairs won it as Moniz advanced to third and quickly scored on a throwing error for the victory.
The Corsairs were first on the board in the game as junior catcher
Matt Tempone sent a two-run shot over the right field wall for his first home run of the season in the bottom of the second. UMD added to its lead in the bottom of the third as back-to-back home runs from senior first baseman
Andrew Bryant and Perron made it a 4-0 contest.
Fourth inning action saw Stafford score on a groundout to short, while in the sixth, a double by sophomore outfielder
Scott Cromack brought in Tempone – who had doubled to right – while Cromack later scored on a single down the left field line from rookie outfielder
Brett Baker.
The Corsairs saw Tempone go 2-for3 at the plate with two runs batted in, two runs scored and a home run. Baker added two RBI, while Perron had two runs score on the day with an RBI. He also added three assists. Bryant led the way with a game-best nine putouts in game one. Jackson Murphy earned the victory on the mount for the Corsairs, pitching two-thirds of an inning with one hit and one run allowed.
Qualey – the Corsairs' starter – held the Engineers scoreless until the sixth inning, finishing with four hits allowed over 6.0 innings pitched. He surrendered five runs, striking out seven, while walking three. Malcolm went a third of an inning, allowing one hit with a strikeout and a walk surrendered.
For WPI, Brennan had a hit with four RBI and a run scored, while Salvon went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and a team-best seven putouts with two assists. On the mound, the Engineers saw senior Everett Wonson go 2.1 inning with four runs (all earned) on four hits. He struck out four and walked three before giving way to senior Jack Gomes for the next 3.2 innings. He allowed three runs on five hits with two strikeouts. Junior Noah Pins shouldered the loss for WPI, surrendering two runs on one hit with two walks.
Game two saw the Corsairs carry that offensive momentum straight into the opening frame as UMD opened up a 4-0 advantage. With one out on the board, Bryant doubled down the right field line to score Baker, which was quickly followed by a double to center from Perron, driving in Bryant for the 2-0 lead.
Two outs on the board brought junior
Andrew Possi to the plate as he singled through the left side, advancing on an errant throw as Perron scored to make it a 3-0 game. Next up was Keefe, who dropped in a single to advance the runner to third.
Stafford came up to the plate, singling to right to move the runners up as Possi scored for the 4-0 margin.
The Corsairs struck again in the third as Possi scored following a ground out to second by Cromack. Baker then drove in a run with a solid single up the middle, followed by another double from Bryant as he drove in a pair of runs for an 8-0 lead.
Perron then homered again, this time a three-run shot to left to put the Corsairs up 11-0 in the fifth, as a run-scoring double down the left field line by
Adam Horowitz closed out the game's scoring with the 12-0 margin.
Bryant had an outstanding effort in game two, going 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored. Perron was 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored, while Keefe was 3-for-5 with a run scored. Baker also had a solid game two, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
On the mound, sophomore lefty
Adam Maher picked up the victory, going a stellar 5.0 innings with just one hit allowed. He struck out three and walked just two in the effort. Rookie
Sam Watts came on to pitch the sixth, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts, while sophomore righty
Nathan Potter pitched the seventh, surrendering a hit with a strikeout.
For WPI, junior Owen Radcliffe shouldered the loss, going 2.2 innings with eight runs allowed on 11 hits. He had a strikeout and a walk. Classmate Henry Sniezek allowed three runs on three hits with two strikeouts over 2.1 innings, while sophomore Scott West handled the final two innings, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts.
UMass Dartmouth is back in action on Monday when it faces Fitchburg State for day two of their RussMatt Invitational schedule.
