The Massachusetts baseball team fell in two of its three games against George Washington. In the lone victory, the Minutemen (12-25-1, 6-15 Atlantic 10) exploded with 16 runs, including an eight-run first inning.
Game three on Sunday was magic for UMass. Quickly loading the bases, the Revolutionaries (24-19, 11-10 A-10) walked in two runs. Marc Willi came to the plate and launched a grand slam deep into the bushes in left field to give the Minutemen a quick 6-0 lead. Michael Toth got hit by a pitch and later scored on an error. Carter Hanson rounded out the scoring in the first frame with an RBI single to right field, scoring Sam Hill.
Toth and Hanson continued the fun in the third inning. Toth, the junior, led off the inning with a solo shot, his first of the year. Hanson smacked a two-RBI single to right field to make the score 11-0. Matt Travisano forced an error from George Washington’s catcher on a steal attempt, which scored Hanson, further adding to the bludgeoning and leaving the score at 12-0 through just three innings.
UMass, however, was not done scoring. In the very next inning, Anthony Tirado walked with the bases loaded, Travisano hit a first pitch RBI single and Hanson tallied yet another RBI with a four-pitch walk. Jack Beverly added an RBI double in the sixth inning to round out the scoring with 16 Minutemen runs.
The Revolutionaries’ scoring came in the form of a two-run blast in the fifth and an RBI fielder’s choice in the final-frame seventh inning. UMass won via mercy rule, ending the contest early.
The game one and two double header on Friday was friendlier to George Washington but the Minutemen did not go down without a fight. In game two, the Revolutionaries led off the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the second inning. Then, in the fourth frame, a two-run jack, an RBI single and another sacrifice fly gave George Washington a 5-0 lead.
In the bottom of the frame, UMass fought back. Tirado led off with a bunt single, followed by Travisano with a single into right field. Hanson doubled down the right field line, driving home both Tirado and Travisano. Hanson, then, tagged up on a sacrifice fly, settling the score at a closer 5-3.
Another home run for the Revolutionaries in the top of the sixth added to the lead until the Minutemen took the lead back via an RBI double from Braden Sullivan in the bottom of the frame. George Washington put up a five-run seventh inning, burying UMass, who put up a last-ditch effort in the ninth inning, scoring three runs. The Minutemen’s attempt fell short, though, and the final score was 12-7.
Game one was a back-and-forth fight. After both teams had a one-run lead, Sullivan blasted his fourth home run to start the bottom of the sixth to give UMass a 3-2 lead. After the Revolutionaries took the lead once again in the seventh thanks to a home run, the Minutemen fought back once again. Willi scored Jared Muñoz to cut George Washington’s lead to just one at 5-4 in the eighth. The Revolutionaries pulled ahead and ended the game with a four-run ninth inning. Hanson added yet another RBI in the ninth, but it was too little too late as George Washington won 9-5. Hanson had a monster series with nine RBIs on five hits.
UMass turns its attention to Fenway Park and a date with Boston College in the Baseball Beanpot Consolation game. First pitch is Tuesday, April 29 at 4 p.m.
Owen Shelffo can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter/X @owen_shelffo
