PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island College capitalized with runs in the early and late innings, to take an 8-3 win over UMass Dartmouth in Little East baseball action on Tuesday afternoon. The game – which was called in the bottom of the eighth due to weather – saw the Anchormen improve to 8-16 with a 2-5 LEC mark, while the Corsairs are now 13-11 overall and 5-3 in conference play.
The homestanding Anchormen opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as senior first baseman Daniel Trzepacz sent a home run over the wall of Pontarelli Field for a 2-0 advantage. Rhode Island College added to its lead in the bottom of the second as junior left fielder Daniel Cascio sent another home run out of the park to push the margin to 4-0.
UMass Dartmouth answered in the top of the third as sophomore third baseman
Nick Bartalini doubled to left. Following an out to junior center fielder
Brett Baker, the Corsairs drew a walk as senior second baseman
Devyn Vezina headed to first. Another walk, this time to graduate first baseman
Joe Muzio, loaded the bases for UMD as RIC made a pitching change.
A sacrifice fly to right from senior left fielder
Liam Blesi brought home the visitors first run to pull the Corsairs within three (4-1). Rhode Island College tagged on a fifth run in the bottom of the frame, but UMass Dartmouth countered once more in the top of the next inning.
With an out on the board, senior right fielder
Scott Cromack doubled to left to get things started. Bartalini then tripled to center to drive in the run, while Baker followed with a single to left to bring in another run to further cut the deficit to 5-3.
That score held until the bottom of the sixth as a hit-by-pitch and a walk saw the homestanding Anchormen with two on and one out on the board. Sophomore second baseman Parker Camelo belted a single to right, driving in the sixth run of the game for RIC for a 6-3 lead as the Corsairs caught a runner stealing and junior hurler Aiden O'Donnell got the final batter to ground out to end the threat.
Rhode Island College added to their total in the bottom of the seventh as back-to-back home runs pushed the home team advantage to 8-3. The game was suspended and ultimately called in the bottom of the eighth as the skies opened with rain and thunder in Providence.
The Corsairs saw Bartalini go 2-for-4 on the afternoon with two runs scored and an RBI. Cromack was 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored, while Blesi was 2-for-3 with an RBI. On the mound, UMD starter
Seamus Marshall shouldered the loss, allowing five runs on four hits over 3.0 innings of work. He also struck out three batters.
Sophomore reliever
Jordan Paradis pitched 2.0 innings with two hits allowed and two strikeouts, while O'Donnell went 1.0 innings with three runs allowed on three hits. Sophomore
Dillon Harding came on for the final 1.1 innings, allowing two hits with a strikeout.
The Corsairs return to action on Thursday when they travel to Babson College for a 3:30pm non-conference tilt against the Beavers.
