In a three-game series against the top team in the Atlantic 10, the Massachusetts baseball team walked away with a win against No. 25 Charlotte at Earl Lorden Field this past weekend.
The Minutemen (14-23, 6-9 A-10) suffered a tough loss to the 49ers (34-10, 13-5 A-10) Sunday afternoon, a 17-6 beat down that saw six UMass pitchers try and quell a strong opposing offense.
By the top of the fourth inning, the Maroon and White were close behind the 49ers, as starter Dennis Torres looked to end the inning with the bases loaded after allowing one run. With the score at 4-1, right fielder Justin Wilson sent a high fly ball to left field. Left fielder Kyle Multner lost the ball in the sun and was unable to catch it cleanly, and the ball fell in for a three-run double.
Though UMass would score one run in the fifth inning and four runs in the sixth, the 49ers put the game far out of reach by plating six runs in the top of the sixth and three more in the top of the seventh. Torres took the loss, falling to 2-4 on the season, while 49ers starter Tyler Barnette improved to 6-1.
Though the game had an unfavorable outcome, UMass coach Mike Stone still saw positives in the outing.
“We started off the game well, but we did not make some plays later on,” said Stone. “Dennis is a quality pitcher and showed improvement from his last start. There were some plays that we had to make and did not. We gave [Charlotte] some outs, and that hurt us in the game.”
On Saturday, Minuteman Charlie Benson outdueled 49er hurler Corey Roberts in a UMass 5-1 win.
Benson allowed a single to the first batter he faced but retired the next six batters in a row before allowing another hit. He received a little help in the third inning as the UMass infield turned a timely double play to bail Benson out of a bases-loaded jam.
After leaving the bases loaded after in the seventh inning, Benson was relieved by closer Leif Sorenson, who promptly got the third out via an infield ground ball. Sorenson pitched two more scoreless innings to secure the win and his sixth save of the season. The save, the 11th of his career, as a Minuteman, made him the school’s all-time saves leader.
Benson scattered eight hits over his 6.2 innings of work while issuing four walks and one run, and striking out one batter. The win, which was his second start of the season, improved his record to 2-2.
“Charlie pitched one of the best games I have seen played here in a long time [on Saturday],” said Stone. “He pitched with a lot of confidence and gave us a strong run to win the game.”
Roberts allowed three hits, three walks and three earned runs, with four strikeouts, over six innings. His record dropped to 7-2 on the season.
Friday afternoon’s game looked more like Sunday’s performance as Charlotte handled the Minutemen, 11-4.
Mirroring Sunday’s game, UMass was the first team to score, as it earned three runs off of four hits and a walk in the bottom of the first inning against 49ers starter Andrew Smith. However, Charlotte would answer right back in the top of the second, as they scored four times on three hits and an error against Minuteman starter Glen Misho.
The 49ers never trailed again, adding one run in the third and three runs in the fifth and sixth innings. UMass mustered one more run in the fourth inning before its bats fell silent.
Additionally, of the 11 runs scored against the Maroon and White in the contest, three were earned. The other eight runs came as a result of four errors.
Misho threw five innings and finished the day with the loss, falling to 5-2 on the season. He gave up nine hits and eight runs while issuing six walks, and hitting two batters.
Smith went 6.2 innings and allowed eight hits, one walk and four earned runs, with six strikeouts.
David Martin can be reached at [email protected].
