PALMYRA, Penn. – The UMass Dartmouth baseball team battled to a pair of tough losses on Sunday against #23 Penn State Harrisburg at Net Sports Complex. The Corsairs shouldered an 11-10 loss to open the day, resuming Saturday's game two that was called entering the 11th inning due to darkness. UMD – which is now 0-6 – then fell by an 18-12 margin to conclude the day.
The day's action opened with the continuation of game two, which was suspended on Saturday night due to darkness with the Corsairs and the Nittany Lions locked in a 10-10 tie heading into the 11th inning.
UMass Dartmouth had trailed going into the ninth inning by a 10-9 margin until a lead-off double by junior catcher
Luc Nivaud brought senior outfielder
Liam Blesi to the plate to pinch hit. He singled to center to score the runner and tie the game 10-all.
Both sides had quick halves of the 10th inning, heading into the top of the 11th which saw rookie designated hitter
Tommy Caporaso belt a two-out single up the middle. Despite the momentum, the Corsairs could not push a run across as sophomore right fielder
Sam Bradford grounded out to third.
In the bottom of the 11th, the Nittany Lions saw their lead-off hitter junior designated hitter Coy Schwanger walk and later steal second. An intentional walk to junior first baseman Demetre Koutras III brought up senior third baseman Alexander Ruiz, who hit a double to right center to bring home the winning run.
Offensively, the Corsairs saw rookie left fielder
Conner McNamara go 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, while senior designated hitter
Jake San Antonio was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Bradford went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, while rookie third baseman
Jake Hayes was 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. Rookie lefty
Alex Tawa shouldered the loss in the 11th.
Game two of the day opened with the Nittany Lions jumping out to an 8-0 lead through the opening two innings. The Corsairs answered in the top of the third, bringing a run across as Bradford singled to left, bringing home rookie
Jayden Cruz from second to cut the deficit to seven (8-1), but three more runs in the bottom of the fourth saw Penn State Harrisburg open up an 11-1 advantage.
The Corsairs battled back in the top of the fifth, bringing across nine unanswered runs to close the gap to one (11-10). With runners standing on first and second, senior center fielder
Brett Baker sent a sacrifice fly to center to push across a run. That was followed by a single to right center from Nivaud to drive home the third run for UMD.
A double down the right field line by graduate student first baseman
Spencer Aubin pushed two across, quickly followed by a single to third from junior catcher
Ryan Jones as the Corsairs cut the lead to 11-6. Bradford, who was the second batter of the inning with a single to right, laid down a two-run double to left and – following a pitching change – junior shortstop
Cooper Wixon belted a two-run single of his own to center to make it an 11-10 game.
Despite the momentum, the Corsairs could not hold off the Nittany Lions, who added two runs in the bottom of the fifth, followed by a five-run bottom of the sixth to regain an eight-run advantage (18-10).
In the top of the ninth, the Corsairs worked to get back into the game as a single to right center by Bradford was quickly followed by a double to center by Wixon. Baker stepped up to the plate, grounding out to second as Bradford came across for UMD's 11th run. With two outs on the board, a single through the left side by Blesi made it an 18-12 game, but the Nittany Lions pitching closed the door with a strikeout to end the game.
Bradford had an outstanding game for the Corsairs, going 4-for-6 with three runs scored and three runs batted in. Wixon was 4-for-5 in the contest, adding two runs scored and two runs batted in, while Blesi was 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Cruz had three runs scored and Aubin posted two runs batted in.
On the mound, Tawa started the game, exiting in the first inning as junior
Jordan Paradis took over, allowing four runs on two hits over 1.2 innings with three strikeouts. Senior
AJ Rourke went 2.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits with a strikeout, while senior
Ryan Jackson pitched 1.1 innings. Senior
Ray Boutiette pitched 1.2 innings, allowing just two hits with a K, while senior righty
Gio Arzuaga allowed a hit in the final inning.
UMass Dartmouth returns to action on Sunday, March 8, hosting SUNY Brockport in doubleheader action. A location for the games will be announced soon.
