NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – Powered by a 17-hit team effort where the Corsairs tallied up a season-high 22 runs, the UMass Dartmouth baseball team took a big victory over Emerson College, 22-6, on Friday. The Corsairs improve to 8-10 overall, while the Lions drop to 3-11 overall.
In four innings of work, sophomore pitcher
AJ Rourke recorded his first collegiate victory, allowing just one earned run on six hits. But it was Emerson who struck first with a two-run first inning. The Corsairs responded in a big way with five runs in the top of the second, starting with a leadoff walk of senior third baseman
Andrew Possi. A double down the right field line from junior first baseman
Jake SanAntonio put runners on second and third, before senior catcher
Matt Tempone was walked to load the bases.
with the bases loaded and no outs, the Corsairs brought in five runs before the Lions escaped the inning. Freshman shortstop
Cooper Wixon, grad student outfielder
Anthony Keefe and senior second baseman
Devyn Vezina each knocked in RBI's.
Freshman reliever
Dylan Ameral took over in the fifth and had a great two innings of work, allowing just one earned run on two hits with three strikeouts. While Ameral held off the Lions, the Corsairs' bats continued to pour it on, adding up 15 more runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Tempone had an outstanding game, including a leadoff triple in the fourth and a bases-clearing three-RBI double in the fifth. Junior outfielder
Chris Kustigian blasted a two-run pinch hit homer in the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, freshmen shortstop
Nick Bartalini and sophomore outfielder
Francisco Manon each knocked in an RBI, scoring the Corsairs' 21
st and 22
nd runs. Sophomore pitcher
Geordan Jackson Murphy came in to close out the seventh. Emerson was able to bring in two runs to get to six before the Corsairs recorded the third and final out, as UMass Dartmouth took a 22-6 victory through seven innings.
UMass Dartmouth saw several players contribute in their at-bats, highlighted by Tempone and Wixon, who had identical days by each going 2-for-3 with three RBI's and three runs. Bartalini was 2-for-2 with three RBI's and a run scored. 14 different Corsairs recorded hits and 10 batters recorded at least one RBI.
The Corsairs' scheduled doubleheader with WestConn tomorrow has been postponed due to field conditions. They will return to action on Monday when they travel to Babson Park for a 3:30pm game at Babson.
