April 27, 2013

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. - A pair of big innings proved to be the Hawks' undoing as the Saint Joseph's baseball team fell to Massachusetts, 10-4, at Earl Lorden Field on Saturday afternoon. Senior outfielder Greg Kumpel had three hits and drove in two runs on the day.

Massachusetts (10-23 overall, 4-10 Atlantic 10) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second after Adam Picard led off with a double and came in to score two batters later on a groundout by Nik Campero.

Saint Joseph's (21-20 overall, 8-6 Atlantic 10) equalized in the third as Lansing Veeder led off with a double of his own, advanced to third on a single by Anthony Cirillo, and came in to score on a fielder's choice by Quinn Renner.

UMass went back in front right away, hanging three runs on the board in the bottom half of the third. Three hits and two Hawk errors allowed the Minutemen to go on top, 4-1.

The Hawks chipped away, scoring single runs in the fourth and fifth. Mike Muha led off the fourth with a single and came in to score on a single by Kumpel to cut the deficit to two. In the fifth, Collin Forgey laid down a one-out bunt single, advanced on a groundout, then scored on a single by Muha to make it a one-run game.

The Minutemen extended the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Picard ripped a bases-loaded double down the left field line to push the margin to four at 7-3. Dylan Begin followed with a two-run home run to make it a six-run game.

Rob McLam added an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth to make it 10-3 before Kumpel doubled home Muha in the top of the ninth to close out the scoring.

Kumpel finished 3-for-5 with two runs batted in, while Cirillo, Muha, Veeder, and Stefan Kancylarz had two hits apiece. Muha contributed a pair of runs scored and an RBI as well.

Conor LeBlanc was the winning pitcher for the Minutemen, scattering 10 hits and allowing three runs in seven and two-thirds innings. He walked one and struck out six to improve to 1-4 on the year. Jordan Carter took the loss, falling to 3-3. He was charged with eight runs, five earned, on eight hits. He walked one and fanned four in his six and a third innings of work.

The teams will return to Earl Lorden Field for the series finale at noon on Sunday.