DAVENPORT, Fla. – The UMass Dartmouth baseball team held off a late rally in the bottom of the ninth, securing a 5-4 victory over Penn State Altoona on Thursday at Northeast Regional Park. The Corsairs move to 3-5 on the season, while the Nittany Lions are now 5-5 overall.
It was the visiting Corsairs that got things going in the top of the first as with a runner on, senior second baseman
Devyn Vezina reached on a fielder's choice. Graduate student designated hitter
Joe Muzio then singled through the right side to advance Vezina to third. After a stolen base by Muzio to put runners on second and third, senior right fielder
Chance Checca sent a sacrifice fly to left as Vezina came in to score.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth as rookie catcher Benjamin Ettien sent a home run over the left field wall to tie it up. UMass Dartmouth responded in the top of the fifth as sophomore shortstop
Cooper Wixon was hit by a pitch to lead off. Stealing second, junior centerfielder
Brett Baker laid down a sacrifice bunt, reaching on a throwing error that allowed Wixon to score for the 2-1 lead.
Baker advanced to third on a fly out to left from Muzio, but sophomore right fielder
Marcus Ollivierre reached on an error by the third baseman – a move that allowed the runner to score from third as the Corsairs took the 3-1 lead.
Into the top of the seventh, the visitors once again got the bats swinging as Muzio led off with a single to center, quickly stealing second base. Ollivierre doubled to left to advance Muzio and the Corsairs made it a 5-1 advantage as graduate first baseman
Matt Tempone drove the ball to center for a two-run single.
Penn State Altoona attempted to surge back in the bottom of the seventh as junior center fielder Brian Chelli doubled to deep left center to lead off. A ground out to second by senior shortstop Harrison Knaupe advanced the runner, who came on a single to right field by senior second baseman Alex Hlivia to make it a 5-2 game.
The Nittany Lions then saw junior designated hitter Zach Ingold rifle a shot into right field to put two runners on. PSU saw a fly out on its next at-bat as Hlivia advanced to third for runners on the corners as a single to right from junior first baseman Jonathan Rauch brought in the runner to cut the deficit to 5-3 as the teams headed into the eighth inning.
Into the bottom of the eighth, the home team faced a two-out situation before Chelli doubled to left, advancing to third on a balk by Corsairs pitcher
Seamus Marshall. Next to bat was Knaupe as he singled to right, cutting the lead to 5-4 forcing a pitching change for the visitors.
The Nittany Lions saw Hlivia draw the walk soon after, putting runners on first and second as Ingold stepped up to the plate. Sophomore hurler
Nick Bartalini got the better of him as Ingold struck out looking to end the inning.
Two on the board in the top of the ninth saw Kustigian single to left, followed by a single to center from sophomore catcher
Ryan Jones to load the bases for the Corsairs. The threat ended as Altoona pitcher Michael Labisi got Wixon to fly out to end the frame.
Penn State looked to rally in the bottom of the ninth as a walk and a single put runners on first and second with two outs on the board. After a wild pitch moved both the runners into scoring position, Bartalini got the final out, getting Jake Hillard to strike out swinging to wrap up the Corsairs win and secure the save.
Tempone paced the day, going 2-for-5 with two runs batted in and a stolen base, while Muzio also went 2-for-5 with a run scored. Baker, Vezina, San Antonio and Jones all had a stolen base in the game, while Checca added an RBI.
On the mound, starter
Ian-James McCasland went 4.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits with a walk and a strikeout. Marshall came on in the fifth, pitching 3.2 innings to earn the victory as he allowed three runs on eight hits with a K and no walks, while Bartalini posted the save over 1.1 innings, surrendering two walks and a hit with two strikeouts.
UMass Dartmouth is back in action on Friday when it faces Clarkson University at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Fla. Game time is set for 1:15pm.
