WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth baseball team raced out to a 12-1 lead, but fended off a late charge from Western New England this afternoon to complete its Southern swing with a 13-9 victory at Chain O' Lakes Field #2. The Corsairs wrapped up their annual Spring break trip with a 5-3 record, including a 5-2 mark against NCAA Division III opponents.
The UMass Dartmouth attack pounded out a season-best 16 hits, including five doubles and a triple, en route to its highest offensive production of the campaign. Senior Ryan Medeiros (Acushnet, Mass.) registered a pair of doubles and three RBI, while classmate Alex Newton (Saco, Maine) went 3-for-4 with a two-bagger and two runs scored. Freshman Zach Courier (Mansfield, Mass.) turned in a strong performance in his collegiate debut with two extra base knocks, including a two-run triple in the third. Freshman Josh O'Neill (Halifax, Mass.) collected his second straight multi-hit game to help the bottom of the order produce seven total hits.
Junior George Bent (Barnstable, Mass.) earned his first victory of the season, allowing two earned runs on five hits over the course of five innings. The junior right-hander struck out a season-high seven batters and issued one walk on 101 total pitches.
Both teams cracked the scoring column in their first at-bats, but the Corsairs exploded for six runs in the second to extend their advantage to 7-1. Medeiros fueled the surge with a bases-clearing double to left field, and swiped home later in the frame on a double-steal. Senior Alberto Vasquez (Roxbury, Mass.) capped the outburst with a RBI-producing single up the middle.
UMass Dartmouth continued to apply the pressure, crossing the plate with four additional runs in the third. The first two batters laced singles to centerfield and Courier drove them in with a line drive over the centerfielder's head to record his first triple of his career. O'Neill ripped the ensuing pitch up the middle to score Courier from third.
The Golden Bears (2-6) were finally able to solve Bent in the fifth inning, when senior Steve Buckley (Monroe, Conn.) launched a three-run homer over the left field fence. Western New England continued its comeback bid in the sixth, touching the Corsair bullpen up for five runs. Junior Brett Morgan (Norwell, Mass.) keyed the surge with a two-run double, while Buckley also drove in a pair during the rally.
Junior Aaron Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.) was able to stem the tide and stabilize the bullpen with two scoreless innings of relief, while freshman Matt Cronin (Framingham, Mass.) did not allow a hit in the scoreless ninth.
Golden Bear junior Tom Mahoney (Granville, Mass.) was saddled with the loss, giving up 10 earned runs on nine hits in just 2 1/3 innings. Sophomore Matt Thomas (Plainville, Conn.) kept WNE within striking distance, shutting down the UMass Dartmouth offense over the final three innings.
UMass Dartmouth will return to action at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March , when the Corsairs travel to Johnson & Wales (R.I.).