April 30, 2009
Box Score
CAMBRIDGE, MA - Sophomore second baseman Ryan Walsh (Newton, MA) went 4-5 and knocked in a run to lead the University of Massachusetts Boston baseball team over host MIT, 8-6, today at Briggs Field in Cambridge, MA. The Beacons improve to 17-20 on the season, while the Engineers fall to 23-12.
MIT managed just four hits, a season-low for a club that entered Thursday's action batting .340 as a team. UMass Boston freshman starter Dan Gambill (Lake Worth, FL)surrendered one earned run in two innings of work, while junior southpaw Alex Simas (Wareham, MA) tossed the next two frames without allowing a run en route to the win. Senior Anthony Lauretto (Pembroke, MA) did not allow a hit in the last one and a third innings to pick up his third save of the season and fifth of his career to tie for second with Rich Hallberg (1983-86) on the UMB career list.
The Beacons jumped on MIT with four unearned runs in the top of the second. Freshman center fielder Mark McCormick (Shelton, CT) singled through the right side to drive home two runs, while Walsh plated McCormack with a double down the left-field line. It was the 48th run scored of the season for McCormack to break the school-record of 47 set by Matthew Thayer (2000-02) in 2002. MIT, which committed four errors during the tilt, surrendered all four runs following a miscue on a ground ball to third.
Freshman Kenneth Lin (Castro Valley, CA) grabbed a run back for the Engineers in the bottom of the second with a single through the left side that scored senior Steven Nunez (Tulare, CA). The Cardinal and Gray inched closer in the third after scoring another run despite no hits. Sophomore Dan Hyatt (Wallingford, CT) brought in Park, who had two steals on the day, on a ground out to second.
Ahead 4-2, UMass Boston posted a three-spot in the top of the fourth. Sophomore shortstop Dan Noonan (Westport, MA) connected on a run-scoring single to center field while senior designated hitter Eric Salvador (Middleboro, MA) added two runs with a double to right.
After the Beacons scratched together another run in the fifth, MIT responded with two scores of its own to cut into the lead. The Engineers took advanatage of three walks and wild pitch to get on the board while senior David Nole (Torrington, CT) singled to right to reduce the lead to 8-4.
MIT tested the Beacons' pitching depth and flirted with the lead after scraping together two more runs in the eighth. With two outs, Lin reached on an error, sophomore Brian Doyle (Hopkinton, MA) walked, and freshman Bryan Macomber (Los Altos, CA) singled through the right side. With the bases loaded, Park earned an RBI after getting hit by a pitch. After UMass Boston made a pitching change, a wild pitch enabled Doyle to cross the plate and put two runners in scoring position. Despite the rally, the Beacons got out of the jam with a ground ball to second base.
The Engineers used five pitchers on Thursday with freshman Chris Hendrix (Richardson, TX) (2-1) taking the loss. After a bumpy 4 ½ innings, sophomore Rhyne Barry (Phoenix, AZ), freshman Torre Swanson (Redding, CA), and freshman Creed Mangrum (Sandy, UT) scattered three singles the rest of the way.
Walsh collected his fourth hit of the day in his fourth at-bat coming in the fifth inning to pass McCormack for the single-season school record for hits with 62. McCormack finished the day, going 2-4 with two RBI and two runs scored to give him 49 for his career, while Salvador knocked in a pair of runs and Noonan plated one to give them both a UMB season-record of 35. Sophomore catcher Tim Fontaine (Worcester, MA) was 2-5 to give him 100 career hits and Lauretto made his 43rd career appearance to move into a tie for fourth on the Beacons' career list.
UMass Boston will be in action again as the number four seed in the Little East Conference Tournament, hosting number five seed Rhode Island College on Saturday, May 2 at 12:00 p.m. for a twinbill at Yetten Field in Waltham, MA. MIT will travel to Williamstown, MA to take on Williams College on May 2 for a noon doubleheader.
