AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth posted a seven spot in the eighth inning to sink SUNY New Paltz, 11-1, ending the Corsairs' 2018 RussMatt Central Florida Baseball Invitational on a high note on Saturday afternoon at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.
The Basics
Score: UMass Dartmouth 11, SUNY New Paltz 1
Records: UMass Dartmouth 9-2, SUNY New Paltz 4-3
How it Happened
Corsair starter Matt Cronin (Framingham, Mass.) picked up his third win on the mound for the Corsairs, tying him for the most in the Little East Conference (LEC). The senior went six innings and allowed just one run (unearned), three hits, one free pass, and struck out five to also help himself to a tie for a LEC-best 0.00 earned run average (ERA). Sophomore Nate Tellier (Attleboro, Mass.) went 2-for-3 at the dish, scoring a run and driving in a trio. Classmate Mitch Baker (Braintree, Mass.) went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI's and a run scored. New Paltz starter Michael Delio (Westbury, N.Y.) took the loss, going 6.1 innings and yielding four runs on nine hits.
The Hawks got on the board in the away half of the second, taking a 1-0 lead. Senior Wade Moran (Wading River, N.Y.), who was standing on second, advanced to third on a bunt single by classmate Jake Williams (Seaford, N.Y.) and then raced home on a muffed throw by second baseman Josh O'Neil (Halifax, Mass.) covering first. UMass Dartmouth answered right away in the bottom half of the frame, as senior Mac Curran (Lakeville, Mass.) grounded out to the laid-back infield to bring home junior Pat Vartanian (Canton, Mass.), who pulled a double down the line earlier in the inning.
With the bases loaded full of Corsairs in their next chance at the dish, sophomore Mitch Baker (Braintree, Mass.) ripped a single through the left side to plate Tellier; the strong throw by left fielder Danny Campbell (Pearl River, N.Y.) narrowly nabbed junior Erick Ramirez (Boston, Mass.) at the plate to keep the score at 2-1. The squad doubled their scoring total in the fourth, as Curran got a great read on Wood's bloop single over the second baseman's head. After Wood moved over to third, his pinch runner Zach Courier (Mansfield, Mass.) scored on Tellier's sacrifice fly to left for a 4-1 lead.
Sophomore reliever Luis Berdecia (Mahopac, N.Y.) came on with runners on second and third in place of Zack Reid (Dighton, Mass.) and, after walking his first batter, worked out of the bases loaded jam in the eighth inning to lock the score at 4-1 in favor of the Corsairs. UMass Dartmouth then broke it open in its half, scoring its first of seven runs on a bases-loaded walk by Courier followed up by another from O'Neil. Tellier deposited a two-run single to right center to make it 8-1, and then Baker ended the contest via the ten-run rule with a double down the left field line to bring in senior Kenny Michael (Norwood, Mass.).
Inside the Numbers
- Finishing the nine-day span with a record of 8-2, UMass Dartmouth submits its most successful trip to the RussMatt Invitational yet in Winter Haven, Fla., bettering their record in 2010 of 6-3 in the Sunshine State.
- Thus far on the season, the squad has outscored opponents by a score of 77-32, scoring their most runs in the second inning (14). Their second-highest scoring innings are in the seventh and eighth, with 13 total in each frame.
- UMass Dartmouth has a perfect 7-0 record when leading after seven innings.
- Corsair pitchers have held opponents to just a .196 batting average (33-for-168) with runners on base.
- The Corsairs belted out four doubles, tying their season-high from Mar. 14 vs. Benedictine (IL).
Up Next
The Corsairs will have their home opener on Wednesday, Mar. 21, when they host Mass. Maritime Academy at 3 p.m.