GORHAM, Maine – Corsair senior Chris Wood (Berkley, Mass.) submitted a 3-for-5 performance at the dish as part of a career-high five RBI to lead #5 UMass Dartmouth to a 12-9 Little East baseball tournament victory over #6 Castleton in the first elimination game of the 2019 postseason at Ed Flaherty Field on Thursday afternoon. Junior Nick Andrews (Raynham, Mass.) went a perfect 4-for-4 with a pair of runs scored as part of the Corsairs' 13-hit outing.

How it Happened

• First inning triples by senior JR DiSarcina (Barnstable, Mass.) and junior Nate Tellier (Attleboro, Mass.) bookended a Chris Wood (Berkley, Mass.) and Mike Knell (Dennis, Mass.) RBI single for a quick Corsair crooked number out of the gate (2-0). Before concluding its turn at the plate, UMass Dartmouth executed the double steal with runners on the corners via the duo of senior Jack Harrington (Barnstable, Mass.) and Tellier for another score (3-0). In the second, junior Nick Andrews (Raynham, Mass.) - who reached with a single to center - stole second and then came around to score on Wood's run-producing double down the left field line (4-1).
• Two frames later with the Spartans chasing a pair, Corsair senior Mitch Baker (Braintree, Mass.) was the victor of a 10 pitch at-bat by fouling off five straight deliveries to ultimately earn the base on balls. After advancing to second on Andrews' second hit of the day, DiSarcina brought home the Blue and Gold backstop with an opposite field knock (5-2). Wood then followed by picking up his third RBI in as many trips to the box by laying down a bunt single down the third baseline to push the advantage to four (6-2).
• UMass Dartmouth avenged the two runs it surrendered in the home half of the fifth by hanging six in the sixth, seeing Wood lace a two-run triple to the corner to precede a trot home courtesy of Knell's two-run blast to left-center (10-5).
• With one run in for Castleton in the bottom of the eighth (10-6), the Spartans brought the tying run to the plate after loading the bases. Moments after striking out his first batter on three pitches, Corsair sophomore reliever Logan Maitland (Tiverton, R.I.) popped out Spartan hiter Josh Ferro (Queens, N.Y.) for the final out of the jam.
• The Blue and Gold picked up two insurance runs in the top of the ninth that would loom large for the squad as Castleton brought two in (12-8) before loading the bases with its season on the line. With one out to get against the tying run standing in the box, the Corsairs turned to Tellier to toe the rubber less than 20 hours after last taking the mound following 68 pitches yesterday. One more Spartan would cross on a walk (12-9) to summon Ferro once again, this time as the go-ahead score, but the Castleton backstop flew out to wrap up the ballgame.

Inside the Numbers

• Castleton left 15 runners on base.
• Corsair sophomore starter Tucker Hetherman (Webster, Mass.) got his fifth win of the season after striking out seven over six innings on 93 pitches.
• UMass Dartmouth's 9-through-3 hitters combined for 12 hits.
• Tellier tallied his seventh save and second in as many days.

Up Next

#6 Castleton has been eliminated from the 2019 LEC Baseball Championship Tournament. #5 UMass Dartmouth will battle tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. against an opponent to be determined by the end of this evening; for more updates, stay tuned to littleeast.com.

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