The Massachusetts baseball team found its flow late in a 6-3 win over Albany. The game was the home opener for the Minutemen (8-10-1, 2-4 Atlantic 10) as they embraced Earl Lorden Field with a victory for the first time in the 2025 season. The last time UMass won its home opener was also against the Great Danes (8-11, 2-1 America East) on March 29, 2023.
The turning point of the game came in the bottom of the eighth inning with the game tied at two. Jack Beverly was hit by a pitch to start the inning, followed by Carter Hanson striking out. Needing a new spike of energy, UMass pinch-hit Mitchell Schroeder for designated hitter Jared Munoz.
The fifth-year senior’s last appearance came as a pinch hitter on March 19 against Towson, where he struck out in his only at-bat. This time, Schroeder stepped up when his name was called, sending a pitch over the towering bushes past the right field fence for a monstrous two-run shot.
“That was a really big spot for him, [Schroeder] has been in and out of the lineup,” head coach Matt Reynolds said. “To come in, in a spot like that with two strikes, and put a ball over the right field wall is pretty cool.”
The Minutemen dugout poured out to celebrate the go-ahead homer, but their offensive outburst wasn’t done yet. Albany’s reliever Luke Boule was rattled after allowing the two-run blast and hit back-to-back batters directly after.
Anthony Tirado dug in for UMass with two outs and runners on first and second. The freshman centerfielder launched a liner deep into the right field corner as both runners came around to score. Michael Toth, the Minutemen’s catcher, went first-to-home on the play, kicking up dirt with a head-first slide to give UMass a 6-2 lead.
With a four-run advantage heading into the final inning, Jack Levine settled in comfortably by striking out the first batter of the inning and grounding out the second one. This seemingly peaceful close turned on its head as Levine walked a batter, allowed a single and threw a wild pitch to advance both runners.
Anthony Scarabino worked the count full with two runners in scoring position, knocking the sixth pitch of the at-bat softly off the end of his bat as it fell gracefully on the infield grass without a play to be made.
One run scored, leaving the Great Danes with men on the corners and the tying run coming to the plate. Thomas McElwee couldn’t deliver for Albany in this situation, as he hit a slow ground ball back to Levine, who took it to first himself to end the game.
With this rocky ending, the Minutemen successfully capitalized on the third lead change of the game. Initially, UMass took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning after Beverly scored on a wild pitch that skipped between McElwee’s legs behind the plate.
The Great Danes jumped ahead in the top of the seventh inning as Logan Morris hit a two-run homer just to the right of the batter’s eye in center field. This lead was short-lived for Albany as Zack Zaetta tied the game for the Minutemen in the bottom of the inning by scoring on another wild pitch.
Strong pitching caused UMass’ offense to start slow on Wednesday. Sam Belliveau tossed three scoreless innings as the starter while allowing just one hit. Jason Blanchard made his collegiate debut for the Minutemen in relief, managing his way through a pair of hits and three walks to give up zero runs in two innings of work.
“With [Belliveau] coming back, just kind of trying to find his way back from injury, and [Blanchard’s] first appearance, could be a recipe to have to win 13-10,” Reynolds said. “But it wasn’t, it was really good in the middle of the week to see that.”
This win marks the start of a nine-game homestand for UMass. The Minutemen face Rhode Island in a three-game series starting on March 28 at 3 p.m. Those games will be available to watch live on ESPN+.
Tym Brown can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @tym_brown1.
