DARTMOUTH, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Dartmouth senior Kenny Michael (Norwood, Mass.) tallied a career-high five RBI to help the Corsairs overcome a pair of four-run deficits to defeat Tufts University, 13-10, at the UMD baseball field on Wednesday afternoon.
The Basics
Score: UMass Dartmouth 13, Tufts University 10
Records: Corsairs 22-12, 4-8 LEC | Jumbos 18-15, 8-4 NESCAC
How it Happened
The non-conference tilt did not get off to the start that the Corsairs would have preferred, as the hosts were tasked with climbing out of a 4-0 hole before getting a chance to hit. Despite the unideal opening frame, the Blue and Gold increased its second inning run total to 40 on the season with a four-spot of their own. Michael initiated the offense with a towering shot to left with the count full, halving the deficit. Junior Chris Wood (Berkley, Mass.) grounded out to the backed-up infield to put the team within one before sophomore Mitch Baker's (Braintree, Mass.) RBI rip back up the shoot to tie things up.
In the third, three unearned runs crossed the plate for the visitors to take the 7-4 lead just moments after seeing their lead evaporate. Down four once again, this time in the fourth, Wood came through with a two-run single to the gap. An inning later, the eight and nine hitters in Michael and Ramirez, respectively, tallied RBI's to make it a brand-new ballgame for the second instance.
Junior Jose Vasquez (Roxbury, Mass.) directed a hard-hit groundball to the second baseman Ryan Daues (Palos Verdes, Calif.), but the fielder had it go through his wickets to plate Wood and sophomore Nate Tellier (Attleboro, Mass.) as the Corsairs took their first lead of the day at 9-7. With two aboard, Michael laced a single to left for an RBI single to extend the margin. Like the two teams' affair earlier this season, Tufts would not go away quietly in the late innings. In the eighth, senior Nick Falkson (Dedham, Mass.) submitted a run-producing double and then later came around to score on junior Casey Santos-Ocampo's (Naples, Fla.) sac fly to center.
UMass Dartmouth sophomore Mike Knell (Dennis, Mass.) would provide the first of two insurance runs in the eighth via an RBI groundout, queuing up Michael's single to center to score Vasquez for what would be the final run of the 23 total to score on the afternoon.
Inside the Number
- Sophomore Robbie Carillo (Melrose, Mass.) picked up his second win of the year, as his clean inning of work in the sixth preceded the Corsairs' go-ahead run-scoring frame.
- Despite being charged with six runs, junior Ryan Britton (Milford, N.H.) surrendered zero earned.
- Furthermore, just three of the Jumbos' 10 scores were earned.
- Every single Corsair received invites to the hit parade, with all nine starters picking up a base-knock this afternoon.
- Vasquez turned in a three-hit performance from the batter's box, extending his hitting-streak to 12.
- Today's 16 hits by the Blue and Gold equal its third most in a game this year.
- Michael's previous career-high for RBI in a game was four, which occurred on Mar. 29, 2016 against Roger Williams.
Up Next
The Corsairs round out the 2018 regular season by travelling to Keene State on Friday for a LEC twin bill.