BOSTON, Mass. – Powered by solid pitching and clutch hitting late in the game, the UMass Dartmouth baseball team defeated UMass Boston, 4-1 in Little East Conference action at Monan Park on Tuesday. The Corsairs move to 17-17 overall and improve to 9-2 in conference play.
Scoreless through the opening two innings of play, the visiting Corsairs got on the board in the top of the third as junior
Nick Bartalini got things going with a double to right center. With one out on the board, Bartalini advanced to third on a wild pitch and then came home on a single to left from junior captain and shortstop
Cooper Wixon for the 1-0 lead.
The score remained in the Corsairs' favor until the bottom of the fifth as the Beacons pushed a run across. UMB left fielder Wes Sturrup got things going with a single to center, followed by a single to right center by centerfielder Breon Parker. Beacons' second baseman Nick Farnacci then reached on a fielder's choice as Sturrup came across to tie it, 1-1.
UMass Dartmouth capitalized in the top of the eighth as a walk to rookie right fielder
Sam Bradford then saw classmate and left fielder
Conner McNamara hit by pitch. Senior first baseman
Jake San Antonio was then walked to load the bases. Following a pitching change, the Corsairs scored on a wild pitch by Owen Ellsworth to take the 2-1 lead.
The Corsairs added another run on a sacrifice fly by Bartalini, while rookie second baseman
Jayden Cruz singled through the left side to bring in San Antonio for a 4-1 advantage.
UMass Boston came to life in the bottom of the ninth, posting back-to-back singles for runners in scoring position with two outs on the board, but senior righty
Aidan O'Donnell struck out two in the frame to close out the victory.
Senior right-hander
AJ Rourke earned the victory, allowing just one run on four hits with three strikeouts over 7.0 innings pitched. Junior
Dillon Harding pitched the eighth, striking out one, while O'Donnell earned the save in the ninth.
At the plate, Cruz went 2-for-5 with an RBI and two stolen bases, while Wixon was also 2-for-5 with a run batted in. Bartalini was 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
UMass Dartmouth returns to action on Wednesday, welcoming Wheaton College in non-conference action at 3:30pm.
