PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Powered by an offensive onslaught in game two, the UMass Dartmouth baseball team split a doubleheader today at Plymouth State University. The Corsairs posted a 13-2 win in game two, falling by an 8-7 margin to the Panthers in game one.
The Corsairs are now 17-15 overall and 6-7 in Little East play, currently sitting fifth in the conference standings heading into the final week of regular season action. The Panthers move to 11-18 on the season with a 3-10 mark in the Little East.
UMD rebounded in a big way in game two, scoring 13 runs on 11 hits in a seven-inning run-rule victory. Sophomore
Jared Neikam got things going for the visitors right off the bat, homering to left field with a runner on for the 2-0 advantage. The Panthers rebounded in their bottom half of the inning as junior Jackson Curtis singled to right with a runner on. He advanced to second on a throwing error, allowing senior Alex Rives to score to make it 2-1.
The Corsairs offense got going quickly after that as the top of the second saw sophomore
Scott Cromack walked with a runner on. He stole second, as an ensuing wild pitch saw Stafford score with Cromack moving to third. The next play saw second baseman
Devyn Vezina double to left, bringing home the runner for the 4-1 advantage.
Three runs crossed the plate for the Corsairs in the top of the fourth, powered by an RBI double to center field from senior
Andrew Bryant as UMD took a 7-1 lead. The sixth inning saw another Bryant single, this time down the right field line to bring in a run, which was followed by a single to left from junior
Matthew Klett to score another run. Sophomore
Chris Kustigian then flied out to center as Klett came in on the sacrifice fly to make it a 10-1 game.
Seventh inning saw three more runs cross, including back-to-back RBI doubles from Bryant and Klett, as the Corsairs took a 12-run lead into the bottom half of the inning. A single from Curtis down the line in the seventh saw the Panthers get another run, but the Corsairs bullpen shut down the side for the mercy rule victory after seven.
Bryant went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI, while Klett was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBI. Vezina was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI, while Neikam went 1-for-2 with a run scored and two RBI. Earning the victory on the mound was rookie
Geordan Jackson Murphy, who allowed just one run on two hits over 6.0 innings of work. He struck out five batters in the contest. Junior
Chase Carey came on for the final 1.0 inning of work, allowing one run on two hits with a strikeout.
For the Panthers, Curtis was 2-for=3 with an RBI, while Rives went 1-for-3 with two runs scored. On the mound, senior Bobby Cliché shouldered the loss, allowing seven runs (6 earned) on four hits, He struck out five and walked 10. Sophomore Jason Smith came on in relief, allowing six runs on seven hits over the final 3.0 innings. He struck out one and walked two.
Game one action saw the Corsairs open up a 3-0 lead in the first inning after an RBI double down the left field line by third baseman
Andrew Possi drove in senior
DJ Perron. That play was followed by a two-run single to center field from first baseman TJ Keefe for the 3-0 margin.
The Panthers battled back in the second, closing the gap to 3-2 after a homerun to center field by senior Griffin Crane. In the top of the fourth, the Corsairs once again opened up the lead as center fielder
Brett Baker singled to drive in senior
Chase Stafford for a 4-2 margin.
A double to left by sophomore Sam Malgeri in the bottom of the fourth, coupled with a single to right from rookie Aidan Ponder saw Plymouth State tie the game at 4-all heading into the fifth. Keefe came through once more for the Corsairs with a two-run hit to left, but an error from UMD in the second allowed a run to cross for PSU in the sixth and a single to right by junior Luke Sokolski saw the game tied (6-6) once more.
The Panthers took the lead to close out the seventh as Ponder walked with the bases loaded to bring in the home team's seventh run. In the top of the eighth, Neikam singled to right to bring in a run and tie the contest once again, but an RBI single from Rives in the bottom of the ninth with two on saw the Panthers walk-off for the victory.
Sokolski was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Ponder went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Crane also had a hit, a run scored and two RBI. On the mound, senior Eoin Hamell-Kelleher earned the victory, allowing one run on five hits over the final 3.0 innings of relief. He struck out two and walked just one. Classmate Trey Parker was the starter, allowing six runs on nine hits over 6.0 innings. He walked four and struck out four.
For the Corsairs, Keefe went 2-for-5 with a game-high four RBI. Neikam was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Possi was 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Stafford posted a 2-for-3 mark with a run scored. Sophomore reliever
Andrew Steinhubel shouldered the loss in the game, allowing one run on one hit over .2 innings. He walked two and struckout one. Corsairs starter
Ryan Qualey allowed seven runs (five earned) on 11 hits over 7.0 innings with four strikeouts and three walks.
The Corsairs are back in action on Tuesday, hosting UMass Boston in a single-game Little East contest. Game time is set for 3:30pm.
