PALMYRA, Penn. – The UMass Dartmouth baseball team shouldered a tough loss to #23 Penn State Harrisburg on Saturday at Net Sports Complex. Game two of the doubleheader was suspended due to darkness with the Corsairs and the Nittany Lions tied 10-10 in the top of the 11th. Action in that game will resume on Sunday at 12pm, followed by a single game after to conclude the weekend.
With Saturday's loss, the Corsairs slip to 0-4 on the season.
In game one, the Corsairs shouldered a tough 6-4 loss as the Nittany Lions opened up the scoring with two runs across in the bottom of the first. An RBI double to left by junior catcher Coy Schwanger pushed the home team ahead 3-0 in the fifth, followed by three more runs in the top of the seventh to make it a 6-0 lead.
The Corsairs rebounded in the top of the ninth as rookie designated hitter
Luc Nivaud singled through the right side with two outs on the board. Senior left fielder
Liam Blesi was next to the plate, getting hit by pitch to advance to first. Classmate and third baseman
Jake San Antonio was also hit by pitch to load the bases as graduate student and first baseman stepped up to the plate.
Aubin changed the momentum with one swing of the bat, launching his first home run of the season and as a Corsair over the wall to cut the deficit to two (6-4), but visitors were unable to get any further runs to keep the inning going and potentially tie the game.
The Corsairs were paced by Aubin, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored and four runs batted in. Nivaud was 1-for-2 with a run scored, while San Antonio was also 1-for-3 with a run scored. On the mound, senior
Adam Maher shouldered the loss, going 4.1 innings. He allowed three runs on four hits with five strikeouts. Junior
Dillon Harding came on for 2.2 innings of relief, allowing three runs on five hits with a strikeout, while junior
Nick Bartalini went 1.0 innings, allowing no runs or hits.
Game two was an offensive onslaught as the Corsairs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. With two runners on, Nivaud was hit by a pitch to load the bases and the Corsairs scored on a balk.
Aubin came up big again, launching a two-run double to left to push the margin to 3-0. The Corsairs went on to add two more runs in the second inning as rookie left fielder
Conner McNamara singled to right to bring in a run, followed by an RBI single through the right side by senior center fielder
Brett Baker for the 5-0 advantage.
In the bottom of the frame, the Nittany Lions rebounded, capitalizing with a pair of singles and a two-run triple to left from junior first baseman Demetre Koutras III – who later scored on a balk to make it a 5-5 game heading into the third.
The third inning saw a lead-off double by San Antonio and, after a ground out, rookie third baseman
Jake Hayes singled up the middle to bring the run in for a 6-5 lead. Penn State Harrisburg tied it up once more in the bottom half of the frame.
Later in the fifth inning, the Corsairs saw sophomore right fielder
Sam Bradford score to regain the lead with a home run to right field, but the home team answered in their half of the inning with an RBI double to center from senior second baseman Tim Haftl followed by a single to open an 8-7 edge. Penn State Harrisburg was able to tack on a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to regain a 10-7 advantage.
In the eighth inning, the Corsairs answered once again as a ground out by Hayes with runners on, brought the team's eighth run across. It was followed by a sacrifice fly to center from Bartalini to close the gap to 10-9 heading into the ninth.
The top of the ninth saw a lead-off double by Nivaud, who doubled to left center. Blesi came on to pinch hit, singling to center to score the runner and tie the game at 10-10. Both sides had quick halves of the 10th inning, heading into the top of the 11th which will be resumed at 12pm on Sunday.
McNamara is currently 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, while San Antonio is 2-for-4 with a run scored. Bradford is 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Hayes is 2-for-5 with a run scored and two runs batted in.
Junior lefty and starter
Kolby Pascarelli pitched 2.0 innings, allowing five runs on five hits. Classmate and lefty
Aiden Newhall came on in relief for 2.2 innings, giving up three runs on two hits with two strikeouts. Senior
Seamus Marshall came on for 1.1 innings of relief, allowing two runs on three hits, while junior
Leo Colena had a strikeout and a walk in 1.0 innings. The Corsairs suspended the night with senior righty
Aidan O'Donnell on the hill, who pitched 3.0 innings, striking out six batters with no runs or hits allowed.
