MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The UMass Dartmouth baseball team shouldered a tough doubleheader loss at Montclair State University on Saturday at Yogi Berra Stadium. The Red Hawks posted a 16-6 victory in seven innings of game one, before taking game two by a 10-3 margin. The Corsairs are now 0-3 on the young season.
Game one saw the homestanding Red Hawks record a monster opening inning, bringing 14 runs across in their half of the opening inning. The Corsairs brought their first run across in the top of the third as junior shortstop
Cooper Wixon doubled down the left field line to bring home second baseman
Nick Bartalini.
Montclair State tacked on two more runs before an RBI-double to center from rookie shortstop
Jayden Cruz saw classmate and second baseman
Jarod Melendez come across for a 16-2 score in the top of the fifth. Soon after, junior centerfielder
Marcus Ollivierre doubled to left center to bring home Cruz, followed by a single down the left field line by rookie designated hitter
Carlos Reyes that brought Ollivierre home to move the score to 16-4.
Sophomore first baseman
Mike Maselli grounded out to second, but managed to bring home another run, while rookie left fielder
Conner McNamara later reached on a fielding error as another run scored for the Corsairs to bring the margin to 16-6 after five innings.
Despite the momentum, the Corsairs were unable to overcome the deficit as the Red Hawks shut UMD down over the final two innings enroute to the win.
Junior left-hander
Kolby Pascarelli shouldered the loss, allowing eight runs on three hits over 0.1 innings. He had a strike and three walks. Senior hurler
Ray Boutiette came on in relief, allowing six runs on four hits over 0.2 innings, while classmate
Seamus Marshall pitched 3.0 innings with two runs allowed on two hits with two strikeouts. Senior
Ryan Jackson rounded out the pitching for the Corsairs, going the final two innings with one hit allowed with a strike and a walk.
Game two saw another big opening inning for the Red Hawks as the home team jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first. An RBI triple in the bottom of the second saw the score move to 5-0, but the Corsairs capitalized in the top of the third. UMD had bases loaded, bringing a run across as Montclair's pitcher was charged with a balk to bring in a run.
In the fourth, graduate student first baseman
Spencer Aubin launched a double into center field to bring in another run, cutting the deficit to 5-2. Wixon then homered in the top of the fifth, making it a two-run game (5-3).
The Corsairs were unable to take further advantage of the momentum as the Red Hawks pushed across five runs in the bottom of the seventh to conclude the game's scoring.
Aubin went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Wixon was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Sophomore left fielder
Sam Bradford was 3-for-4 in the game with a run scored. Junior pitcher
Jordan Paradis shouldered the loss, allowing four runs to open the game. Senior
AJ Rourke came on in relief over 4.0 innings, striking out three batters while allowing a run on three hits.
Junior lefty
Leo Colena went 2.0 inning with no runs and no hits with three strikeouts, while senior righty
Gio Arzuaga pitched 1.0 innings with five runs allowed on two hits. Junior
Aiden Newhall closed out the final inning, striking out one batter with no runs or hits allowed.
UMass Dartmouth returns to action next weekend, traveling to Penn State-Harrisburg on February 28. The Corsairs will play a doubleheader on Saturday (12pm and 3pm), followed by a 1pm single game on Sunday, March 1.
