May 20, 2010
Box Score
MANSFIELD, CT - Senior designated hitter Jeff Outzen (San Mateo, CA) drove in the go-ahead runs with a two-run single in the eighth to lead the seventh-seeded University of Massachusetts baseball team to a 6-4 victory over number three seed Western New England College tonight in a winner's bracket contest of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Tournament at Eastern Baseball Stadium in Mansfield, CT. The Beacons tie the school record with their seventh straight victory and have won 13 of their last 15 contests to improve to 30-15 on the season, while the Golden Bears fall to 34-11.
UMass Boston will take on top-seeded Tufts University, a 3-0 winner over number four seed Eastern Connecticut State University, tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. at Eastern Baseball Stadium in Mansfield, CT. Western New England plays eighth-seeded Saint Joseph's College (ME), which defeated Worcester State College, 5-4, in 12 innings in an elimination game, at 1:15 p.m.
UMass Boston took its first lead of the night when sophomore center fielder Mark McCormack (Shelton, CT) and junior second baseman Ryan Walsh (Newton, MA) both singled to left field ahead of junior catcher Tim Fontaine (Worcester, MA), who ripped a single to left that got under the glove of the Golden Bears' left fielder, allowing McCormack to score and cut the deficit to 4-3. Junior first baseman Connor Reinfurt (Manchester, NH) walked to load the bases and Outzen came through with a bullet back up the middle to drive in Walsh and Fontaine for a 5-4 Beacons' edge. UMass Boston tacked on an insurance run in the eighth when sophomore outfielder Ty Buccetti (Wallingford, CT) reached on an error to lead off the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman shortstop Matt Consiglio (Southbury, CT) and scored on a McCormack single to left to give UMB a 6-4 margin.
Western New England scored four times in the third to take the game's first lead. The Golden Bears put their first three batters on base to load the sacks with sophomore right fielder Tom Bouvier (East Longmeadow, MA) getting things started with a leadoff single to right center, followed by senior center fielder Steve Kearney's (Glastonbury, CT) team-leading 22nd hit-by-pitch and a walk worked by junior designated hitter Ryan Dudzinski (Bristol, CT) to set up an RBI walk by senior shortstop Justin Walz (Groton, CT) for the game's first run. The Golden Bears got the big blow they needed when senior first baseman Joe Griglun (Southington, CT) lined a double just out of the reach of the UMass Boston third baseman and down the left field line to plate a pair of runs and give them a 3-0 lead. Junior third baseman Tony Trubia (Tolland, CT) kept the pressure on with nobody out with a run-scoring single to center field a for a 4-0 margin. Beacons' starting pitcher Danny Gomez (East Boston, MA) was able to get out of the jam with a double play to end the frame.
UMass Boston got two runs back in the bottom of the inning when junior right fielder Jose Roman Santos (Tenares, DR) reached on an error and Consiglio drew a walk with no outs. The Beacons scored both runners with one out when McCormack struck a tough ground ball up the middle that kicked off the glove of the Western New England shortstop and into center field to pull UMass Boston to within 4-2. The Golden Bears limited the damage, turning an inning ending twin killing of their own.
The Beacons threatened in the bottom of the sixth, loading the bases with two outs following singles by Walsh and Reinfurt and a full count walk worked by sophomore third baseman Mike Mattei (Spencer, MA), but Western New England freshman starting pitcher Kevin Jefferis (Cheshire, CT) stranded all three runners with a strikeout to end the frame.
Freshman reliever Daniel Heefner (Tracy, CA) tossed four innings of one-hit relief to close out the game and improve to 4-1 for UMass Boston. He also struck out two and walked one batter. Jefferis suffered his first loss of the season against seven wins for the Golden Bears, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits and six walks, while striking out five in six and two-thirds inning of work.
McCormack finished the night going 2-4with two runs batted in, a run scored and a stolen base, while Reinfurt was 2-3 for the Beacons. Walsh collected a pair of hits in four trips to extend his season-long hitting streak to 18 straight games for UMass Boston. Trubia led Western New England with a 2-4, one RBI effort, while Griglun knocked in a pair of runs with a double.
