DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Powered by a late two-run homer from junior second baseman
Devyn Vezina, the UMass Dartmouth baseball team took a big victory over Rhode Island College, 10-7, on Tuesday. The Corsairs improve to 16-12-1 overall after their eighth consecutive win and remain a perfect 8-0 against Little East Conference opponents, while the Anchormen drop to 12-11 overall and 2-6 in conference play.
It was UMass Dartmouth that struck first with a three-run first inning, featuring a pair of base hits from grad student right fielder
Joe Muzio and senior third baseman
Andrew Possi. The Corsairs added a fourth run in the third inning on a solo-homer off the bat of senior catcher
Matt Tempone. Rhode Island College responded with a run in the fifth before a five-run sixth inning that gave the Anchormen a 7-4 lead.
UMass Dartmouth immediately answered the five-run sixth of the Anchormen with a four-4un bottom half of the inning to recapture their lead. After freshman shortstop
Cooper Wixon singled and sophomore center fielder
Brett Baker was walked, Vezina drove in his first RBI of the day on a single through the left side of the infield. Two batters were walked, bringing in another run, followed up by a two-out base hit to left field from junior first baseman
Jake SanAntonio that brought in a pair of runs. The Corsairs led 8-7 through 6.0 innings of action.
Senior reliever
Kevin Moszkowicz gave the Corsairs a great inning of work in the seventh, retiring the side in 1-2-3 order. In the bottom half of the seventh, with two men on base and two outs, Vezina crushed a two-run homerun over the left field fence. It marks his second homer of the season and third of his career. UMD led 10-7 going into the eighth.
Sophomore pitcher
Geordan Jackson Murphy closed it out for the Corsairs. He went two full innings, allowing no runs and no hits with a strikeout for his first save of the season. UMass Dartmouth stay perfect in conference play with the 10-7 victory over RIC.
Leading the way from the plate for the Corsairs was Vezina, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI's and three runs scored. Tempone had an awesome game from the plate, going 2-for-3 with two walks and three RBI's. Possi and SanAntonio each recorded a pair of hits, with SanAntonio driving in two runs and Possi bringing in one.
RIC saw two batters record multiple hits, coming from sophomore second baseman Lucas McElroy and senior shortstop Izaiah Rivera. Junior catcher Lucas Pierce went 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Senior outfielder Cole Podedworny was1-for-3 with two RBI's.
The Corsairs return to action on Saturday, hosting Babson College in a single nine inning contest in Dartmouth. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30pm.
