University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
22-24-1, 8-14
George Washington
20-30, 8-14
Baseball Escapes George Washington, 17-16
May 19, 2022 | Baseball
Three Minutemen record home runs, including a three-run shot from MacLean.
UMass improved to 22-24-1 overall on the season and 8-14 in the Atlantic 10, while George Washington fell to 20-30 overall and 8-14 in conference play.
MacLean had a career day, as the Exeter, New Hampshire, native, led the Minutemen with a career-high four hits with a double and his sixth homer of the season on the ledger, as well as a career best seven RBIs. He also added two runs and two walks to his stat sheet. Four other Minutemen tallied two hits apiece, including Cole Hebble and Kevin Skagerlind who had the most runs on the team with four and three, respectively. In addition to MacLean's two runs, Drew DeMartino, Wilde and Collin Shapiro scored two, as well. DeMartino, Steve Luttazi and Nolan Tichy all had doubles on the day.
A double to center field by DeMartino allowed Skagerlind to come home and get UMass on the board first in the top of the first inning. George Washington tied the game up, though, at one apiece after scoring a run in the bottom half of the inning.
In the top of the second, Skagerlind walked with the bases loaded, allowing Wilde to cross the plate, before DeMartino was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to send Shapiro home. MacLean hit a single to left field to drive in Hebble to make it a 4-1 contest. The Colonials made a 4-3 game in the bottom of the frame after tallying two runs of their own.
UMass added two unearned runs to its total to take a 6-3 lead in the top of the fourth, but George Washington closed the gap to two, tacking on a run in the bottom half of the fourth.
Shapiro singled in the fifth, knocking in Tichy, while DeMartino was hit by a pitch for the second time on the day with the bases loaded to allow Shapiro to touch the dish, pushing the Minutemen ahead 8-4. A two-run single by MacLean aided UMass to a 10-4 lead, as Hebble and Skagerlind came around to score.
Massachusetts continued to pull ahead in the sixth frame, after Wilde collected his sixth home run of the season, bringing the score to 11-4. Hebble came home off an error by the third baseman that allowed DeMartino to reach first and Skagerlind to advance to second. A three-run blast from MacLean cleared the bases to give the Minutemen a 15-4 lead.
The Colonials came back in the seventh inning, adding 10 runs and bringing themselves within one at 15-14. George Washington brought the game to a 15-15 draw in the eighth with another run scored.
Judd cranked a two-run shot to left field, as UMass reclaimed a 17-15 lead in the top of the final frame. George Washington tacked on one more run, but the Minutemen were able to hold on to the lead to win game one of the series.
Zack Given (1-3) secured the win on the mound for UMass, tossing 1.1 innings, and allowing one run on two hits and striking out one. Tyler Dalton earned his second save of the year, pitching one complete inning, giving up one run on as many hits and recording one strikeout. Benny Wilson (2-1) took the loss for George Washington after giving up two runs on two hits, walking one and dealing three strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work.
Massachusetts continues to battle George Washington for game two of the series on Friday, May 20, at 12 p.m., on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Given, Zack (1-3)
L: Benny Wilson (2-1)
S: Dalton, Tyler (2)
Batting:
2B: DeMartino, Drew 1 ; MacLean, Will 1 ; Luttazi, Steve 1 ; Tichy, Nolan 1
HR: MacLean, Will 1 ; Judd, Dylan 1 ; Wilde, Aidan 1
RBI: Skagerlind, Kevin 1 ; DeMartino, Drew 3 ; MacLean, Will 7 ; Judd, Dylan 3 ; Wilde, Aidan 1 ; Shapiro, Collin 1
SH: Skagerlind, Kevin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hebble, Cole 4 ; Skagerlind, Kevin 3 ; DeMartino, Drew 2 ; MacLean, Will 2 ; Judd, Dylan 1 ; Tichy, Nolan 1 ; Wilde, Aidan 2 ; Shapiro, Collin 2
CS: Tichy, Nolan 1
HBP: Skagerlind, Kevin 1 ; DeMartino, Drew 2
Batting:
2B: Cade Fergus 1
HR: Cade Fergus 1 ; S. Ditomaso 1
RBI: Cade Fergus 3 ; S. Ditomaso 3 ; A. Frechette 2 ; Logan Leax 1 ; Noah Levin 1 ; Mike Ludowig 4 ; T. Nicholson 1 ; Ty Acker 1
SF: T. Nicholson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cade Fergus 4 ; S. Ditomaso 2 ; Derek Ripp 1 ; A. Frechette 1 ; Logan Leax 3 ; Noah Levin 2 ; T. Nicholson 1 ; Ty Acker 2
SB: Noah Levin 1
CS: S. Ditomaso 1
HBP: Cade Fergus 2 ; S. Ditomaso 1 ; A. Frechette 1
