Baseball Falls to UMass Boston, 8-7
Waltham, MA - Freshman shortstop Ryan Walsh (Newton, MA) gave the University of Massachusetts Boston baseball team the winning margin over visiting Framingham State College with a run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth inning for an 8-7 victory tonight in a contest that was played at Yetten Field in Waltham, MA. The Beacons improve to 10-12 on the season, while the Rams fall to 3-12.
Junior catcher Eric Salvador (Middleboro, MA) opened the ninth inning with a single for UMass Boston and, following a pair of fly outs, advanced to second base when junior first baseman Danny Arenas (Fort Lauderdale, FL) was hit by a pitch to set up Walsh's game-winning base knock.
Framingham State took an early 3-0 lead with three runs in the top of the first inning when freshman catcher A.J. LaBreque (Tyngsboro, MA) drew a one-out walk and, following an out, raced home on a triple by sophomore designated hitter Ryan McCarthy (Shrewsbury, MA) for a 1-0 edge. Freshman shortstop Joe Sheehan (Burlington, MA) followed with a run-scoring single and scored on a double by senior third baseman Michael Vona (Malden, MA) to give the Rams a 3-0 lead. Framingham State tacked on another run in the fifth inning when LaBreque worked another one-out walk and, after an out, McCarthy came through again with a double for a 4-0 FSC margin.
The Beacons answered with five runs in the bottom of the frame when junior right fielder Tom Michael (Manchester, NH) led off with a walk and advanced to third when sophomore left fielder Drew Tambling (Sterling, MA) reached on an error. Junior center fielder Ryan Oshima (La Jolla, CA) plated both runners with a double to cut the deficit in half at 4-2. Following an out, Salvador drove in Oshima with a double of his own and then scored when senior third baseman Mike Dorval (Belchertown, MA) followed with a triple to knot the game at 4-4. Junior second baseman Casey Rice (Canandaigua, NY) then put UMB on top with a single to plate Dorval for a 5-4 edge.
UMass Boston added single runs in the sixth and eighth innings when Oshima knocked in a run with a single in the sixth and brought home another with a squeeze bunt in the eighth to increase the Beacons' lead to 7-4. Framingham State came back with three runs in the top of the ninth, courtesy of the usual suspects when LaBreque drew his third walk of the day and moved to second on a single by freshman right fielder Steven Tramontozzi (Watertown, MA) to set up another RBI double off the bat of McCarthy to pull the Rams to within 7-5 and put runners on second and third base with no outs. Following a pair of strikeouts, sophomore first baseman Casey Hickey (Lee, MA) grounded to shortstop, but the throw to first was offline and both Framingham State runners scored to tie the game at 7-7, before UMass Boston won it in the bottom of the frame.
Junior right-hander Anthony Lauretto (Pembroke, MA) (1-2) earned the victory for the Beacons, going an inning and a third and allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk, while striking out four to claim his first collegiate win. Freshman reliever Mike Cain (Gloucester, MA) also contributed, pitching around five walks and two hits to throw two and two-thirds innings of scoreless ball in addition to fanning a pair of batters. Freshman Matthew Magazine (Marlboro, MA) (0-1) suffered the loss for the Rams after tossing two and two-thirds innings of relief, allowing two runs on three hits, while striking out one.
Oshima finished the day, going 2-4 with a season-high four RBI for UMB, while Salvador collected three hits, including a pair of doubles in addition to an RBI and two runs scored. Michael also rapped out a pair of hits as did Walsh. McCarthy led Framingham State with a pair of doubles and a triple, while knocking in three runs and scoring twice. Tramontozzi collected two hits and scored a run as well.
UMass Boston will be in action again on Thursday, April 10 when they take on Fisher College at 7 p.m. in a game to be played at Boston English High School in Jamaica Plain, MA, while the Rams travel to Providence, RI to play Johnson & Wales University on April 9 at 3:30 p.m.