DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Powered by a 13-strikeout effort from junior hurler Adam Maher, the UMass Dartmouth baseball team split a doubleheader with Fitchburg State on Sunday at Bishop Stang High School. The Corsairs won game two by a 7-3 margin, shouldering a tough 7-5 loss in 11 innings in game one.
 
In the nightcap against the Falcons, Maher was outstanding, striking out the first nine batters of the game as the Corsairs drove five runs across in the bottom of the second. Sophomore outfielder Brett Baker got things going with a single through the right side to score catcher T.J. Keefe. Baker then came across on a single to right by junior right fielder Sam Laurie.
 
Junior second baseman Devyn Vezina drove a single to left to score Laurie and Vezina would later come in on a wild pitch. Grad student first baseman Joe Muzio followed soon after, stealing home to make it a 5-0 game after two.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, UMass Dartmouth pushed across two more runs as Keefe singled through the right side to score a run, while the Corsairs pulled off a double steal as senior Matthew Klett beat the throw at home.
 
Fitchburg State made a run in the top of the seventh as a two-run triple by Adam Koza closed the gap followed by a grounder from Joseph Abt that scored Koza to make it a 7-3 game. The Corsairs got out of the inning as sophomore Seamus Marshall struck out a pair of batters to end the threat.
 
Maher, who struck out 13 of the 16 batters he faced over 5.0 innings of work, allowed just one hit. Keefe finished 1-for-1 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI, while Vezina was 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI. Sophomore Carter Scovill came on in relief of Maher, striking out two batters in the sixth, while Marshall had two K's in the seventh.
 
Game one saw the Corsairs jump out to a 5-0 advantage through the opening two innings, including an RBI double by senior third baseman Andrew Possi. Junior designated hitter Jake SanAntonio also contributed with a two-run double to left in the bottom of the second.
 
But the Falcons charged back into the game, pulling to within 5-2 on a single up the middle from Jacob Hurrell. It was Hurrell in the sixth inning that closed the gap further as he cracked a solo homerun to right as Nolan Hills drove a two-run single up the middle to tie it at 5-all in the eighth.
 
The two teams remained deadlocked through the 11th inning, as the Falcons capitalized. With bases loaded, Liam Goldstein walked, while Matt Kelly grounded out to first, but gave Matt Smith the chance to come home and make it a 7-5 final as FSU got out of a two-on, two-out situation to force Anthony Keefe to pop up and end it.
 
Grad student pitcher Ryan Qualey allowed three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk over 6.0 innings pitched, while Jacob Rosati shouldered the loss for UMass Dartmouth allowing two runs with three walks in 2.1 innings of relief.
 
The Corsairs return to action on Monday, traveling to Mass. Maritime Academy for a 4pm first pitch.