April 24, 2010
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
WALTHAM, MA - The University of Massachusetts Boston baseball team's comeback in game two fell a run short of its bid to sweep a Little East Conference doubleheader from visiting Keene State College, after winning the first game, 3-1. The Beacons fell in the nightcap, 12-11, despite scoring four times in the ninth this afternoon at Yetten Field in Waltham, MA. UMass Boston is now 17-11 overall, including 4-4 in LEC play, while the Owls are 17-13-1 and 6-4.
Junior designated hitter Dan Noonan (Westport, MA) struck a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning of the first game to give the Beacons a 3-1 lead, en-route to the victory. Sophomore center fielder Mark McCormack (Shelton, CT) and junior catcher Tim Fontaine (Worcester, MA) had both reached on errors, before Noonan's game-deciding base knock. Sophomore left-hander James Dalton (Apopka, FL) allowed just one run and scattered 11 hits, while walking two and striking out seven to earn the complete-game victory to improve to 5-1 for UMass Boston.
Keene State broke into the scoring column first when junior Tyler Diprato (Suffield, CT) cracked a leadoff double for one of his four hits in the contest and later scored on a two-out RBI single off the bat of senior Keith Patnode (Keene, NH) for a 1-0 edge. The Beacons matched the run in the bottom of the seventh when junior Jose Roman Santos (Tenares, DR) reached on a two-out error and later scored when freshman shortstop Matt Consiglio (Southbury, CT) singled to right and the throw from the outfield missed the cutoff man.
Senior Jeff Raymond (Amston, CT) started for the Owls on the mound and allowed no runs on just three hits and a pair of walks, while fanning three in six and a third innings of work, before yielding to junior reliever Corey Vogt (Suffield, CT), who suffered the loss, allowing three unearned runs on two hits to go with a strikeout.
UMass Boston faced a 12-7 deficit heading into its half of the ninth in game two, but loaded the bases when sophomore Mike Mattei (Spencer, MA) singled, junior Connor Reinfurt (Manchester, NH) was hit by a pitch and senior pinch hitter Jeff Outzen (San Mateo, CA) reached on an error. Consiglio hit a double play ball to second, but the ball was muffed, allowing Mattei to score to cut the deficit to 12-8. Senior Drew Tambling (Sterling, MA) also reached on a throwing error, which allowed a pair of runs to score and make it a two-run game. McCormack grounded out to second for the first out of the inning to pull the Beacons to within a run and put Tambling on third base. Junior Ryan Walsh (Newton, MA) then hit a slow grounder to third, but Tambling got caught in a rundown between third and home and was tagged out with Walsh going to second, where he was stranded on a ground out to short to end the game at 12-11.
Keene State took control early in the game with a 9-2 lead through four innings of play. Patnode drove in a run with a single in the first inning and a three-run double from sophomore Kyle Morrill (Auburn, NH) broke the frame open, giving the visitors a 4-0 lead. UMass Boston got two runs back in the bottom of the inning on a two-run home run from Fontaine to make it 4-2. Diprato stroked a one-out double in the second and later scored on an error for a 5-2 Owls' lead, before they crossed the plate four times in the fourth, keyed by a two-run single by senior catcher Anthony Cipolla (Glastonbury, CT) for the 9-2 advantage. The Beacons rallied for three runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to 9-5, thanks to an RBI double from Fontaine and a two-run single off the bat of Mattei. UMass Boston pulled within 9-6 in the sixth when Tambling reached on a bunt single and stole second to open the inning, and eventually came around to score on a Fontaine sacrifice fly to center for a career-high matching four RBI. Keene State put three insurance runs on the board in the top of the eighth, highlighted by a two-run double from sophomore pinch hitter Erik Bergstrom (Enfield, CT).
Sophomore relief pitcher Kyle O'Brien (Spingfield, NH) picked up the victory to improve to 2-0 for the Owls, yielding a run on two hits, while striking out one in two-thirds of relief of junior left-handed starter Dan Nelson (Glastonbury, CT), who gave up five runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk in addition to three strikeouts in four and a third innings of work. Freshman Daniel Heefner (Tracy, CA) fell to 0-1 in the start for the Beacons, allowing nine runs (seven earned) on eight hits and two walks, while fanning two in three and a third innings. Senior southpaw Michael Andriano (Massapequa, NY) did not allow a run and struck out four, while walking one in three innings of relief, while junior Tony Damon (San Bruno, CA) held the Owls scoreless for the final two innings of relief.
Fontaine led UMB on the day with a single, two doubles, a homer and four RBI, while Diprato was 7-11 with three doubles and four runs scored and Patnode was 6-9 with two RBI to pace Keene State.
UMass Boston will be in action again tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. when hosts LEC foe University of Southern Maine at Yetten Field, while the Owls host Suffolk University tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.
