UMass-Dartmouth athletics photo

BOSTON, Mass. – Powered by a two-out RBI single from junior second baseman Devyn Vezina in the ninth to force extra innings, then a walk-off from senior catcher T.J. Keefe in the tenth inning, the UMass Dartmouth Baseball team won the Little East Conference Tournament Championship for the first time since 2000. The 4-3 win over UMass Boston completes the Corsairs' perfect 4-0 run in the conference tournament, earning them an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Beacons finish their season with an overall record of 27-16 and an LEC Regular Season Championship, as they hope to earn an At-Large bid into the NCAA Tournament.

In an electric LEC Championship game featuring a rematch of yesterday's game between the hosting Beacons and the Corsairs, it was UMass Boston to strike first in the third inning. Senior second baseman Aidan Blake brought in the game's first run to give UMB a 1-0 advantage.

UMass Dartmouth answered by driving in their first run of the day in the fifth inning after a slow start from the plate. Senior left fielder Matt Klett started it off with a one-out single. Klett was followed by Keefe, who belted a double to right field, setting up freshman shortstop Cooper Wixon to bring in the runner on third on a sac fly to the right fielder.

With the score tied at 1-1 in the top of the seventh, UMass Boston retook the lead on a sac fly off the bat of freshman catcher Brandon Gaer to bring in senior third baseman Bostyn Burris from third. The Corsairs answered in the bottom half of the inning on a two-out RBI single from Vezina to tie it back up at 2-2.

After a scoreless eighth inning, the Beacons applied the pressure by taking the lead again in the top of the ninth. This time the run was batted in on a base hit from junior left fielder Mariano Jimenez.

T.J. Keefe went big once again, leading off the bottom of the ninth inning with his second double of the game. Two Corsairs struck out, leaving Vezina at the plate with two outs and a runner on second. Vezina found himself down in the count and UMass Boston was one strike away from forcing a second game. With the pressure of the game on his shoulders, Vezina delivered with a base hit through the left side of the infield. Keefe rounded third base and slid into home safely to even the game at 3-3 and force extra innings.

Corsairs' sophomore pitcher Aidan O'Donnell (3-0), who entered the game in the seventh, was spectacular in his 3.2 innings of work. He allowed just one run (unearned) on three hits with three strikeouts, and was able to get out of the tenth inning with a runner left on first.

UMass Dartmouth's first at-bat of extra innings was led off by junior Jake SanAntonio who took a walk. Freshman infielder Jordan Paradis pinch ran for him and advanced to second on a base hit from grad student right fielder Anthony Keefe, continuing his stellar tournament run. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, setting up runners on second and third for T.J. Keefe with one out. Keefe delivered yet again, rocketing a hard grounder towards the shortstop that was mishandled, allowing the game-winning (and tournament-winning) run to come in for the 4-3 victory.

O'Donnell earned his third win of the season and the biggest win of his two-year career so far. Sophomore Geordan Jackson Murphy started on the mound. In 3.2 innings of work, he allowed one run on four hits with four strikeouts. Sophomore Seamus Marshall pitched 2.2 innings in relief, allowing one run on two hits.

From the plate, UMass Dartmouth was led by T.J. Keefe, who went 2-for-5 with an RBI and scored the game-tying run in the ninth. Vezina was 2-for-5 with two clutch RBIs. Anthony Keefe, who was named the 2024 Little East Conference Tournament's Most Outstanding player, continued his phenomenal stretch with another two-hit game. In their two games yesterday, Keefe threw a two-hit shutout on the mound and then hit a three-run homer to ice the later game.

The UMass Dartmouth Baseball are your 2024 Little East Conference Tournament Champions and head into the NCAA Tournament with a 24-18-1 overall record and come out of a stacked Little East Conference. They await the NCAA Selection show to find out who and where they will play.