DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Corsair sophomore starter Tucker Hetherman (Webster, Mass.) spun a masterpiece of an outing, scattering five hits over 7.1 shutout innings on 119 pitches to shutdown #3 Southern Maine on Tuesday afternoon. In the hosts' third win over a nationally ranked opponent this season (Keystone, UMass Boston), the righty received plenty of run support from the men behind him as the Blue and Gold offense shined for 13 hits, seven runs (all earned), and a pair of stolen bases.

How it Happened

• In the second turn through the Corsair lineup, UMass Dartmouth erupted for a six-spot in the third on seven hits in the frame. Junior Mike Knell (Dennis, Mass.) put his squad on the board on a two-strike double down the left field line to plate senior Chris Wood (Berkley, Mass.), setting up another runner in scoring position opportunity for his other corner infielder Jack Harrington (Barnstable, Mass.). The lefty laced a single to the gap for an RBI before senior Pat Vartanian's (Canton, Mass.) sacrifice fly finally gave the Huskies its first out of the inning (3-0).
• The Blue and Gold kept its foot on the gas on its third two-strike, run scoring hit of the inning, seeing junior Nick Andrews (Raynham, Mass.) collect a base-hit right back up the shoot (4-0). Two more came home on back-to-back two-out knocks by junior JR DiSarcina (Barnstable, Mass.) and Wood as team batted around before its third out.
• Threatening with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth, the Huskies saw Hetherman depart after 119 pitches to make way for sophomore reliever Max Penton (Waltham, Mass.) to face clean-up hitter Dylan Hapworth (Winslow, Maine). Despite working the count into his favor at 3-1, Penton induced a crucial 4-6-3 double play ball to end the Southern Maine rally and keep the zero on his starter's line.
• UMass Dartmouth built on its momentum from the away half of the inning, tacking on another on Vartanian's RBI piece that reeled in junior Nate Tellier (Attleboro, Mass.) (7-0).
• Penton stayed in for the final frame, retiring the opposition for the key conference victory.

Inside the Numbers

• With a pair of hits added to his ledger today, DiSarcina's hitting streak bumps to 18 straight games. Knell and Wood are just ahead of the shortstop's .368 batting average at .382 and .377, respectively. The middle infielder does own the most hits on the squad, however, with 32.
• Hetherman's out total broke down as follows: one strikeout, 11 fly outs, and nine groundouts – one for a double play.
• More than half (five) of the Corsair lineup tallied multiple hits.
• UMass Dartmouth slides back to .500 in its league slate.

Up Next

The Huskies host Bowdoin tomorrow at 4 p.m. while Head Coach Bob Prince's crew takes the remainder of the week off until hosting Little East Conference opponent Western Connecticut State University on Saturday for a twin bill commencing at noon.

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