Baseball Tops UMass Boston in Extras, 6-5
Brockton, Mass. – An unearned run in the top of the 10th coupled with a Manny Powers (Malden, Mass.) save earned the Rams of Framingham State University a 6-5 extra inning win over the University of Massachusetts Boston Wednesday evening at Campanelli Stadium in the 2014 home debut for the Beacons.
The victory went to sophomore Brendan McDonough (Chelmsford, Mass.) who closed out the ninth inning, allowing just one hit in his lone inning of work. With the decision the Rams improved to 11-10 overall, while the Beacons fell to 9-9.
In the deciding inning the Rams led off with a single. After a fly out to center field to put one out on the scoreboard, Framingham State did what they did best, as senior Matt Roberge (Lowell, Mass.) stole second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. A single by junior Mark Mainini (Hull, Mass.) put runners at the corners, still with only one out the board.
The Rams would then take full advantage of a Beacons error to jump out to a 6-5 lead, with Mainini moving over to second base on the play and Roberge scoring. UMass would retire the next two batters to get out of the inning, but the damage was done.
Coming in for the save was Powers, who retired the first three Beacons batter in order to seal the victory.
Before the late inning comeback by Framingham State, the Beacons were in complete control of the non-conference contest scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. They would then tack on another in the third to take a 4-0 lead. Josh Cummiskey (Lowell, Mass.) was solid through the first five innings, but it was in the sixth that the Rams were able to get on the board.
Framingham State did all of their work in the top of the sixth scoring four-runs to tie the game at 4-4. Roberge scored a pair of runs on a double in the frame. Cummiskey went 5 1/3 and allowed the four runs, three earned, on 10 hits. He also struck out three and walked three.
The Rams would get their first lead of the night in the top of the seventh on a RBI double by junior Kevin Driscoll (Chelmsford, Mass.), who went 3-for-4 on the night with an RBI and a run scored.
UMass Boston did not allow the Rams lead to stand for very long as Jamill Moquete (Boston, Mass.) ripped an RBI single in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at five runs a-piece. The senior outfielder closed out the Beacons home debut with three hits (3-for-4), two RBI and two runs scored.
After a scoreless eighth and top of the ninth thanks in part to senior righty Daniel Heefner (Tracy, Calif.) and his defense the Beacons stepped up to the plate looking for the walk-off in the bottom of the ninth. After a groundout to the pitcher, the Beacons would get their first base runner in Jose Pena (Boston, Mass.), who reached on a single to shallow center field. Unfortunately, the late inning heroics were short lived as the Rams got out of the inning on a double-play. Pena had a strong night at the plate as the senior infielder went 3-for-4 with a run scored.
Carrying the Rams into the ninth inning was senior Matt DiCato (Winthrop, Mass.). The righty went eight complete innings and allowed the five Beacons runs, four earned, on 10 hits. He also struck out four and walked two.
Matt Dziok (Southampton, Mass.) was handed the loss after coming in in the top of the 10th. The lone run allowed, was unearned as the senior surrendered just two hits.
Todd Ezold (Westfield, Mass.) recorded the Beacons lone extra base hit, a double, to finish the day 2-for-4.
Baseball returns to action tomorrow when they travel to Babson College for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference game, while the Rams travel to Fisher tomorrow for a non-conference game beginning at 7 p.m.
Release courtesy of UMB Sports Information.