BABSON PARK, Mass. – Corsair senior Pat Vartanian (Canton, Mass.) delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the ninth to provide UMass Dartmouth with its fourth win over a nationally ranked opponent, this time besting #7 Babson at Govoni Field on Wednesday afternoon. Blue and Gold freshman Chase Stafford (Somerset, Mass.) was solid in his second career start, hurling five shutout innings and punching out four while surrendering a lone hit.

How it Happened

• UMass Dartmouth freshman Jon Candiales (Attleboro, Mass.) worked a bases loaded walk in the second to give his squad an early lead. A hitter later, junior JR DiSarcina (Barnstable, Mass.) singled home a pair that scored classmates Mitch Baker (Braintree, Mass.) and Nick Andrews (Raynham, Mass.) to stretch the advantage to a trifecta (3-0).
• Corsair junior Mike Knell (Dennis, Mass.) then extended his hitting streak to nine in style by tattooing an opposite field two-run homer in the fifth (5-0). His trot around the bases gave him his 17^th hit in the last 18 games as well as an extra-base hit in the previous five.
• Babson tapped in to the deficit beginning in the sixth on a double steal (5-1). The Beavers then did most of their damage in the eighth on a bases loaded hit batsman ahead of two sacrifice flies before ultimately tying the contest on another double steal (5-5).
• Junior Nate Tellier (Attleboro, Mass.) laced a double to the right centerfield gap to succeed Knell's infield single, setting the Corsairs up with runners on second and third. After recording their second out of the inning, the visitors regained the lead on Vartanian's RBI single to left that immediately plated Knell. Left fielder Alex DiMartino (Mahwah, N.J.) could not immediately gather the go-ahead hit which allowed Tellier to follow right on his classmate's heels (7-5).
• The UMass Dartmouth pairing of junior Louie Berdecia (Mahopac, N.Y.) and senior Ryan Britton (Milford, N.H.) combined to record the final three outs of the ballgame, with the southpaw picking up his first career save.

Inside the Numbers

• The Corsairs redeemed themselves from yesterday's defeats, improving to 4-1 overall against nationally ranked opponents (Keystone, UMass Boston, Southern Maine, Babson). UMass Dartmouth improves to 13-17 while the Beavers slide to 25-5; entering today, the hosts only suffered two setbacks (both to Wheaton) since beginning the season 1-2.
• Four UMass Dartmouth hitters logged multi-hit games in Vartanian (3), Knell (2), Tellier (2), and senior Chris Wood (Berkley, Mass.) (2).
• Getting the win after a hitless, scoreless eighth inning of work was sophomore Logan Maitland (Tiverton, R.I.).

Up Next

The Beavers continue action against Little East opponents by hosting Keene State at 3:30 p.m. Head Coach Bob Prince leads his squad back into action tomorrow by travelling to Suffolk at 4 p.m.

(Recap, photo by: Kyle Diangkinay '19, Athletic COmmunications Graduate Assistant)