MEDFORD, Mass. – Junior Chris Wood (Berkley, Mass.) laced an opposite-field single to left field to plate the decisive run as the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth edged Tufts University 9-8 in 10 innings this afternoon in a NCAA Division III baseball game played at Huskins Field.  
 
Senior Brandon Polignone (Peabody, Mass.) worked a lead-off walk to put the go-ahead run at first in the top of the 10th inning.  UMass Dartmouth capitalized on a Jumbos' defensive miscue to place the winning run in scoring position with just one out.  Wood dropped a two-out single in front of the diving Tufts left fielder to deliver the eventual game-winning run and extend the Corsairs' winning streak to three.   

The Basics 
Score: UMass Dartmouth 9 | Tufts 8 (10 innings) 
Records: Corsairs 17-11 | Jumbos 15-11 

How It Happened
With UMass Dartmouth holding an 8-4 lead in the eighth inning, the Jumbos scratched across a run on a sacrifice fly to center field. Tufts maintained the momentum in its final at-bat as senior Tommy O'Hara (Glenview, Ill.) singled and advance to second on a wild pitch. The hosts' drew a walk to put the tying run at the plate.  Following an out, Malcolm Nachmanoff (Boston, Mass.) launched a three-run homer to centerfield to forge an 8-8 tie.  The Corsairs were able to get the final two outs to send the contest into the 10th. 
 
The top of the UMass Dartmouth order produced eight of the visitors 12 hits this afternoon.  Nate Tellier (Attleboro, Mass.) set the tone with a 3-for-5 performance and a RBI, while Wood finished the contest 2-for-5 with the game-winning RBI.  Jose Vasquez (Roxbury, Mass.) was 2-for-4 and drove in three runs, including his team leading third home run, to extend his personal hitting streak to six games.  Senior Josh O'Neil (Halifax, Mass.) went 1-for 4 with a pair of RBI. 
 
Tellier earned his first victory of the season, throwing two innings of relief.  The right-hander retired five of the final six batters he faced, including three strikeouts.  Sophomore Dean Streich (North Kingstown, R.I.) made his second start of the season, allowing just two runs on two hits in five innings of work.  He left the contest with the visitors leading 5-2.  The Corsairs utilized six relief pitchers to grind out the victory. 
 

UMass Dartmouth cracked the scoring column in the top of the first, when Vasquez singled to right center field to plate Wood.  The Corsairs stretched their lead to 3-0 with a sophomore Mitch Baker (Braintree, Mass.) RBI ground out and Vasquez sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth.  
 

UMass Dartmouth registered a pair of insurance runs in the eighth, capped by a Tellier RBI single up the middle to balloon the Corsairs advantage to 8-4, but Tufts wouldn't go quietly as they were able to battle back and force extra innings. 

Inside the Numbers

• Vasquez (.372) continues to creep up on Tellier (.374) for the team-lead in batting average. The two rank sixth and fifth in the conference, respectively.
• Also appearing in the top-ten of the league's best batting averages is Baker (.366).
• Six different Corsairs picked up RBI's in today's ballgame.
• At the plate, senior catcher Brandon Polignone (Peabody, Mass.) did a magnificent job of moving his fellow teammates over, successfully laying down three sacrifice bunts. Sophomore Mike Knell (Dennis, Mass.) wound up scoring on two of the three advancements.
• Furthermore, Polignone leads the team with four sacrifice hits on the season.
• With another dinger today, Vasquez and Knell are tied for the team-lead with three apiece.
• RBI contributions continue to sprout from all throughout the lineup, with six total coming from the top four and three combined via the eight- and nine-hitters today.
• In a 24-hour span, the Corsair offense has exploded for a cumulative 28 runs, 40 hits, eight doubles, and seven homeruns, helping the team pick up three wins in as many games.
• In the same window, UMass Dartmouth hurlers have racked up 22 strikeouts and have yielded just six base on balls over 26 innings.

Up Next 

UMass Dartmouth will return to action at 3:30pm on April 24, when the Corsairs host Rhode Island College.