April 28, 2010

Box Score

FITCHBURG, MA -- Junior second baseman Ryan Walsh (Newton, MA) and sophomore center fielder Mark McCormack (Shelton, CT) each knocked in four runs with three hits to lead the University of Massachusetts Baseball team to a 22-0 rout over host Fitchburg State College this afternoon in Fitchburg, MA. The Beacons improve to 18-13 on the season as they score their highest run total since a 27-5 win over Finlandia University on March 19, 2005. The Falcons fall to 15-15 on the year.

Fitchburg State fell victim to a pair of big innings as UMass Boston registered 17 runs over the fifth through seventh innings. The Beacons boasted a 21-hit effort and took advantage of nine Fitchburg State errors to secure their 18th victory of the season. Walsh turned in a 3-for-6 effort, including a double, four runs scored and four RBI. He now has 42 runs batted in on the season to tie the school standard set by teammate Dan Noonan (Westport, MA) in 2009. McCormack added a trio of hits, with two doubles, three runs scored and four RBI.

Junior Ricky Graham (Walpole, MA) recorded the lone extra base-hit for the Falcons, finishing 1-for-3 with a double and walk, while classmates John Phelan (Walpole, MA), Andrew Foster (East Bridgewater, MA) and Nick Rocheleau (Leominster, MA) each added a single.

The Beacons jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead on the very first at-bat of the game as senior left fielder Drew Tambling (Sterling, MA) blasted his sixth homerun of the season over the right field fence. UMass continued its pursuit in the fifth frame, touching for seven runs on four hits to chase Falcon starter Corey Donovan (Lowell, MA). Junior first baseman Connor Reinfurt (Manchester, NH) rallied the Beacons with a one-run double, while Walsh connected for an RBI single in the frame.

In the sixth, UMass Boston added a pair of runs with a trio of hits before taking a commanding 18-0 lead with an eight-run seventh. In the seventh, McCormack and Walsh lifted the Beacons, collecting back-to-back RBI doubles, while freshman shortstop Matt Consiglio (Southbury, CT) added a sacrifice fly.

On the hill, freshman Daniel Heefner (Tracy, CA) earned his first collegiate victory in relief for the Beacons, tossing four innings of shutout baseball. The rookie hurler notched three strikeouts in the contest, while only yielding three hits. Donovan suffered the loss for the Falcons, falling to 1-2 on the season with eight runs and seven hits allowed.

Fitchburg State (15-15, 6-6 MASCAC) will be back in action on Saturday as it travels to Framingham State College at 12 p.m. UMass Boston (18-13, 4-5 LEC) will travel to Cambridge, MA to take on MIT tomorrow at 4 p.m.

Material used in this report courtesy of Fitchburg State College Sports Information