Baseball Uses Late Uprising To Edge UMass Dartmouth, 9-7

Worcester, MA --- Freshman teammates Adam Barry (Auburn, MA/Holy Name) and Dan McGuill (E. Longmeadow, MA) both tallied three hits apiece as they both helped pace Worcester State to a 9-7 come-from-behind victory over UMass Dartmouth in non-conference baseball action at the Lyons Baseball Diamond.

Trailing 6-1 entering the bottom of the sixth, the Lancers started to chip away at the margin with two scores. Senior Joe Carlier (Rockland, MA) and McGuill both drove in runners in the rally for the Blue and Gold. 

Worcester State (7-8) put up two more runs in the next frame to trail 6-5 after seven full frames of play. Following consecutive base-knocks by sophomore classmates Dennis Duplessis (Marlboro, MA) and Steve Wallace (Auburn, MA), they both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.

Junior David Ruggiero (Peabody, MA) and Barry then plated Duplessis and Wallace with run producing at-bats to help get WSU back into the game.

Worcester State took the 9-6 margin in the bottom of the eighth with a four-run stanza.

Taking advantage of infield miscues, junior Cody Osburn (Sacramento, CA) had the key pinch-hit two-run single for the go-ahead scores. Barry chipped in with an RBI and Osburn scampered home on an errant throw by the catcher after a double steal.

UMass Dartmouth (5-8) made things interesting with back-to-back singles by junior George Agostini (Dighton, MA) and classmate Alex Newton (Saco, ME). With a wild pitch in the dirt, both runners advanced on the and Agostini made it a 9-7 contest on the misplayed throw by the catcher.

But junior Joe Perlak (Chicopee, MA) fanned the next batter and set down the final two men with ground outs to seal up the victory.

The Corsairs originally opened the games scoring in the top of the third on an RBI single with two outs by Agostini for the early 1-0 lead.

WSU tied things up at 1-1 in the bottom half of the same inning when McGuill came home on a fielder's choice ground out to third base put in play by junior Zach George (Attleboro, MA).

The UMass Dartmouth offense though erupted and scored five times over the next two frames to take over the 6-1 advantage. Junior Nate Farias (Fall River, MA), teammate Cory DeMedeiros (Fall River, MA) and senior Wayne Botz (Billerica, MA) all produced runs for the Corsairs in the top of the fourth and sophomore Joe Zottoli (Holden, MA) highlighted the fifth with a two-run single up the middle.

Third-year Michael Ivas (Princeton, MA) and Perlak combined to hold the Corsairs to just one run over the final four frames of play as both tossed two innings each. Perlak improved his mark to 3-0 and he registered a trio of strikeouts in relief.

Junior Jared Kuzio (Franklin, MA) had a no decision in his fourth start of the season. Kuzio went the first five innings allowed six runs (four earned) to go with 10 hits, six runs (four earned) and one walk.

Botz, who started the contest at first base, tossed the ninth and gave up four unearned runs on five hits to drop his record to 0-2 on the campaign.

UMass Dartmouth used six pitchers in a bullpen day and combined for five runs (four earned), nine base-knocks, four punch outs and a pair of walks over the first eight innings.

Other multi-hitters for the Lancers included junior Jeff Bolio (Oxford, MA) and Duplessis who chipped in with two each while Osburn and Barry both had a pair of RBIs. Duplessis and Wallace each touched home plate twice.

Out of the lead-off spot, Wallace reached base in all five plate appearances on a pair of miscues, a dropped third strike for a wild pitch, a solo safety and he was plunked in the bottom of the fifth.

Agostini and Zottoli both had three base-knocks each for the Corsairs while Medeiros, DeMedeiros and Farias all rapped out two hits for the visitors. DeMediros scored twice and Zottoli had two runs batted in the number nine slot of the order.

In a classic midweek match-up with the first game being played this season at the Lyons Diamond, both squads were even in hits (14-14) while there were almost as many errors combined (13) as runs scored in the game (16).

Both teams return to action tomorrow at 3:30 PM. Worcester State hosts Fisher as UMass Dartmouth travels to Fitchburg State.