March 18, 2004

Box Score

BRADENTON, Fla. - The University of Massachusetts baseball team (4-3) knocked off the Wright State (5-8) by the score of 15-3, this afternoon at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Senior first baseman Matt Reynolds (South Boston, Mass.) rapped two home runs and totaled three RBI to lead the UMass attack.

Reynolds led off the top of the second inning with a solo home run to left center field, staking UMass a 1-0 lead. Wright State would answer with a pair of runs in its half of the second, following a two run homer to make it 2-1.

UMass would tie things up with a run in the fifth as Mike Athas (Holyoke, Mass.) secured a one-out RBI double to left center plating senior Adam Stojanowski (West Roxbury, Mass.) to make it 2-2. The Minutemen added four runs in the top of the sixth inning as three hits were helped by two Raiders errors. Junior right fielder Jason Twomley (Fitchburg, Mass.) and Athas highlighted the inning with a double steal allowing Twomley to score. At the end of the frame, UMass led 6-2. Wright State would add a run in the bottom half of the inning, but that would be it.

The Minutemen rapped out two runs on four hits in the eighth and seven runs on five hits in the ninth to put it away. Reynolds highlighted the affair with a two run shot in the ninth, while sophomore DH Bill Rankin (Willington, Conn.) and classmate Frank Curreri (Weymouth, Mass.) each added a two-run double. Twomley and Stojanowski each totaled three hits, while six UMass players had two hits apiece.

UMass sophomore starter Jeremy Demers (Easthampton, Mass.) hurled seven solid innings allowing seven hits and three runs while striking out six and retiring 27 of the 30 batters he faced. Sophomore Jason Hickey (Stamford, Conn.) closed it out with three strikeouts over the final two innings.

Massachusetts baseball has won two straight games and returns to action Friday, March 19 with a 10 a.m. contest against Wisconsin-Milwaukee at the IMG Baseball Academy in Bradenton, Fla.