March 26, 2008

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. - Behind a seven-steal effort, UMass baseball (4-8) won its second home game in as many days on Wednesday afternoon, downing Hartford (3-10), 7-5, at Earl Lorden Field. Ryan Franczek (Chicopee, Mass.) led UMass' domination of the basepaths, stealing three bases, including a swipe of home on a double-steal. The senior shortstop scored twice and joined Andy Tuetken (Smithfield, R.I.) going 2-4 at the plate. Freshman Kyle Multner (Peabody, Mass.) hit his second home run of the season and Adam Tempesta (Brockton, Mass.) drove in a pair of runs.

UMass starter Mitchell Eilenberg (Broooklyn, N.Y.) pitched five strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits. Freshman Charlie Benson (Southbury, Conn.) (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief to earn the victory, the first of his career, and he was followed by junior transfer Nathan Monroy (Flemington, N.J.), who pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, striking out three, to log his first save in a UMass uniform.

Hartford reliever CJ Browne (1-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing one run in two innings after coming in for starter Brendan Floyd, who surrendered four runs in four frames. Bill Perry hit a three-run home run for the Hawks, while Matt Walker had three hits.

Walker delivered a two-out RBI double in the top of the first to give the Hawks an early lead, but the Minutemen came right back in the bottom of the inning. Franczek singled, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and eventually scored on a successful first-and-third double-steal with Jim Macdonald (Cheshire, Conn).

UMass took the lead in the third, using two hits, a walk, a hit batsman, and an error to score two runs. A Tempesta sacrifice fly drove in Brian Baudinet (Watertown, Conn) and the junior second baseman later scored on an RBI single by Bryan Garrity (Peabody, Mass), to give UMass a 3-1 lead. They added to that lead in the fourth when Multner hit a blast that cleared the left field fence to make it a 4-1 game.

After a walk and hit batsman to start the Hartford half of the sixth inning, Walker homered to right field to tie the game at four.

UMass wasted no time taking the lead back, manufacturing a run in the bottom half of the frame. Mike Gedman (Framingham, Mass.) reached first on a passed ball on a strike out and advanced to third on a Tuetken single. Gedman then scored on a double-play groundball off the bat of Multner to give the Minutemen a 5-4 lead. They tacked on another in the seventh when Franczek scored on a wild pitch after doubling and stealing third, to make it a 6-4 game.

The Hawks got one run back in the eighth on a solo home run by Mike Amendola, but UMass one again got a single run in the bottom half of the inning, with Multner scoring on a sacrifice fly by Tempesta.

Monroy pitched a one-two-three ninth to deny the Hawks any attempt at a comeback.

The Minutemen return to action on Friday, when they continue their homestand by hosting Xavier in an Atlantic 10 game set for 3 p.m. at Earl Lorden Field.