TYSONS, Va. – A six-run fourth inning did all the necessary damage as the Saint Joseph's baseball team topped UMass, 12-2, in an elimination game of the 2024 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship at Capital One Park on Wednesday night.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Saint Joseph's (27-25) took the lead right away as Ryan Cesarini hit a solo home run to right center in the top of the first.
 
• The Minutemen drew level in the bottom of the frame on a home run by Mike Gervasi.
 
• The Hawks went back in front in the third.  With the bases loaded, Owen Petrich ripped a shot toward right field that was knocked down by the UMass first baseman; the Minutemen turned it into a fielder's choice but Max Hitman came across with a run to make it 2-1.
 
• The Hawks hung a six-spot on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth for some important breathing room.  Conlan Wall hit a bases-loaded single to bring home Tim Dickinson and double the lead before a two-run single by Ryan Weingartner made it 5-1.
 
• Petrich followed with an RBI single to extend the lead before a single off the bat of Justin Igoe and a UMass fielding error put the Hawks on top, 8-1.
 
• Hitman lofted a sacrifice fly in the seventh to extend the lead before UMass (24-29) got one back in the bottom of the inning on a double by Carter Hanson.
 
• Hitman added another RBI in the ninth, singling home Dickinson, before Cesarini singled home Picollo two batters later.  Weingartner would later hit into a fielder's choice to score Hitman and close out the scoring.
 
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• Will McCausland was outstanding on the mound, pitching into the seventh inning and allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out eight.  Robbie O'Connor took the loss for UMass, allowing six runs on four hits in three and a third innings.
 
• McCausland's eighth and final strikeout of the night, fanning Jack Peters to end the sixth, was his 91^st of the season, a new single-season program record.  He surpassed the previous mark of 90 set by SJU Baseball Hall of Famers Jamie Moyer in 1984 and Kyle Mullen in 2012.
 
• Cesarini and Weingartner collected three hits apiece, with Weingartner driving in three runs and Cesarini, Petrich, and Hitman driving in two.  Dickinson, Hitman, and Picollo scored twice each as well.
 
• All nine batters in the starting lineup both reached base safely and crossed the plate for the Hawks in the contest.
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks will meet top-seeded Saint Louis in another elimination game at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday at Capital One Park.  The winner will play again at 7:00 p.m. for a spot in a semifinal on Friday.