March 14, 2010
Box Score
AUBURNDALE, FL - Junior first baseman Connor Reinfurt (Manchester, NH) blasted a pair of home runs, including a walk-off grand slam as part of a career-high five-RBI afternoon to give the University of Massachusetts Boston baseball team an 11-8 victory over Denison University today in Auburndale, FL at Myrtle Lake Park in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Beacons improve to 1-1 on the season, while the Big Red fall to 3-3.
UMass Boston faced an 8-7 deficit heading into the bottom of the ninth inning before loading the bases when junior shortstop Dan Noonan (Westport, MA) led off with a single to left, classmate Ryan Walsh (Newton, MA) drew a walk and junior catcher Tim Fontaine (Worcester, MA) laid down a bunt single to third. Reinfurt took a called strike and then crushed the next pitch over the center field fence to give the Beacons the win.
The teams headed into the ninth inning tied at 7-7, but following two Denison strikeouts, junior right fielder Peter Krieger (New Canaan, CT) hit an 0-2 pitch into high into a strong wind that deposited it just over the left field fence to give DU an 8-7 edge.
The Big Red jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after an RBI single by junior third baseman Matt Forgatch (San Marino, CA) scored freshman second baseman Andrew Touhy (Wilmette, IL) from second after working a walk and advancing on an errant pick-off attempt. However, the Beacons responded in the bottom half of the first when sophomore center fielder Mark McCormack (Shelton, CT) cracked a leadoff homer as one of four runs in the inning. Walsh drove in a run with an RBI double down the left field line and later came around to score on a wild pitch, while Reinfurt tacked on another run with a solo blast over the center field fence to give UMass Boston a 4-1 lead.
Denison cut into the 4-1 deficit in the fourth inning with an Alex Horn (Centerville, OH) RBI single that scored sophomore David Holmes (Lake Forest, IL). In the fifth frame, Krieger trimmed the margin to one with a double to the left center field gap that drove in Forgatch. The Big Red retook a 5-4 lead in the inning on a Zach Huttie (Cary, NC) double to left that plated Krieger and Holmes.
DU's lead was short lived as Fontaine drove in a pair of runs with a double to the base of the center field fence and eventually came around to score on a squeeze bunt by sophomore third baseman Mike Mattei (Spencer, MA) to give the Beacons a 7-5 edge through five innings.
Huttie had a repeat performance in the seventh inning for Denison with his second two-RBI double to left field to tie the contest at 7-7. Just like in the fifth frame, the senior shortstop drove in Krieger and Holmes.
Sophomore right-hander Matt Young (Colchester, CT) picked up the win for UMass Boston in two and a third innings of relief, allowing one run on one hit and one walk, while striking out four, while junior Nick Smith (Lake Mirror, NH) suffered the loss for the Big Red, giving up four runs on three hits and a bases on balls. Senior Danny Gomez (East Boston, MA) tossed six innings in the start for the Beacons, yielding five runs on nine hits and two walks, while fanning four. Sophomore right-hander Tyler Vaske (Westchester, OH) made the start for the Big Red and allowed seven runs on eight hits, while striking out eight.
Huttie finished with a pair of doubles and four RBIs for Denison, while Krieger went 4-for-5 with a home run, double, two RBIs and three runs scored. Walsh, raked a pair of doubles, while Fontaine and Reinfurt also had a pair of hits and Noonan collected three base knocks and a stolen base for UMass Boston.
Denison returns to the field on Monday (Mar. 15) when it takes on Endicott College at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, FL at 3:30 p.m., while the Beacons play Amherst College tomorrow at Lake Myrtle Park at 9:30 p.m.
