Bats Come Alive in 8th as Baseball Comes From Behind to Defeat UMass Dartmouth

Northboro, Mass. – The Framingham State University baseball team scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to erase a 4-1 deficit and secure a 5-4 victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth this evening in non-conference action at the New England Baseball Complex.   

With the win, the Rams improve to 17-10 on the year, while the Corsairs are now 12-9.

UMass Dartmouth took the lead in the bottom of the first with a pair of runs.  Senior Alberto Vasquez (Roxbury, Mass.)  plated the first with a double down the left field line and sophomore Taylor Cacciola (West Greenwich, RI) followed with a sacrifice fly to deep center. 

Senior Ryan Medeiros (Acushnet, Mass.) extended the Corsairs lead with an RBI single to left in the bottom of the second and senior George Agostini (Rehoboth, Mass.) pushed the lead to 4-0 with an RBI infield hit in the fourth.

The Rams got one back in the bottom of the fourth. Senior Ivan Colon (Waltham, Mass.) walked to lead off the inning and took second on a wild pitch and stole third with two outs.  Classmate John Gill (Hudson, Mass.) plated Colon with a double to deep center.

The Rams offense came alive in the bottom of the eighth inning plating four runs.  Senior Mark Mainini (Hull, Mass.) legged out an infield single and senior Billy Derosier (Shrewsbury, Mass.) walked forcing the Corsairs to go to their bull pen and giving the Rams runners on first and second with one out. Colon followed with a walk to load the bases for freshman Jordan Pallazola (Rockport, Mass.) who delivered a bases clearing double off the right field fence to tie the game at 4-4.  Gill followed with a single to left that allowed Pallazola to score from second with the decisive run.

Freshman Chris Riga (Westfield, Mass.) came on to work a scoreless ninth and record his fifth save of the season.  Classmate Kevin Connelly (Bolton, Mass.) started for the Rams and went seven and a third allowing four earned runs on seven hits with four walks and two strikeouts.  Connelly did not factor in the decision as sophomore Matt McIsaac (Peabody, Mass.) earned the victory tossing two third of an inning of scoreless relief.

Junior Aaron Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.) started for the visitors and did not factor in the decision. Chouinard went seven and a third surrendering three earned runs on five hits with 13 strikeouts.  Junior Matt Russell (Townsend, Mass.) took the loss going two thirds of an inning in relief and allowing two earned runs on two hits.

The Rams are back in action tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Amherst College for a non-conference match up beginning at 4 p.m., while Corsairs host Bridgewater State tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.