Baseball Edges UMass Boston 6-5 in Ten Innings
Framingham, Mass. — Senior Ryan McCarthy (Shrewsbury, Mass.) walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning to score the winning run as the Framingham State College baseball team defeated the University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons 6-5 in non-conference action today at Alumni Field in Paxton. The Rams, who are winners of four in a row, improve to 9-8 on the season with the victory while the Beacons even their record at 9-9 with the loss.
UMass Boston scored three runs in the top of the third inning on a two-out RBI single to right from starting pitcher/designated hitter Dan Noonan (Westport, Mass.) and a double to center from junior second baseman Ryan Walsh (Newton, Mass.) that scored Noonan and centerfielder Mark McCormack (Shelton, Conn.), who had reached on a walk.
Noonan cruised through the first five innings surrendering only two hits to the Rams as Umass Boston maintained a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Framingham State was finally able to generate some offense off of Noonan in the sixth as McCarthy, junior shortstop Justin Wojcik (Dracut, Mass.) and junior second base Daniel Tomasz (Newburyport, Mass.) all singled to load the bases with no outs. Freshman outfielder Will Crofton (Hopkinton, Mass.) followed with an RBI walk to plate the Rams first run. After an out, junior Danny Chaisson (Watertown, Mass.) fouled out to the first baseman whose momentum carried him away from home plate allowing Wojcik to tag and score pulling the Rams back within one run. Catcher Sean Callanhan (Watertown, Mass.) walked to reload the bases and outfielder Steven Tramontozzi (Watertown, Mass.) followed with a base hit to center that scored two runs and gave the Rams their first lead of the game and drove Noonan out of the game. Freshman Daniel Heefner (Tracy, CA) came on in relief and was able to get the next batter to strike out ending the inning.
The Rams lead would not last long as the Beacons tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the seventh. Catcher Tim Fontaine (Worcester, Mass.), third baseman Mike Mattei (Spencer, Mass.), and right fielder Pat Lynch (Middletown, RI) all singled off of Framingham State relief pitcher Mike Cain (Gloucester, Mass.) to start the inning and load the bases. Cain was able to get Matt Consiglio (Southbury, Conn) to ground into a double play but Fontaine came around to score on the play. Cain settled in and induced a grounder back to the mound to end the inning.
The Rams regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth as Corey Ketterer (Plymouth, Mass.) led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt at first base. Two batters later, Tramontozzi was able to drive Ketter home with a sacrifice fly to center for his third RBI of the game.
The Rams held a one run leading heading into the top of the ninth, but the Beacons would once again tie the game on a homerun to left by Fontaine.
Sophomore reliever Matt Young (Colchester, Conn.) was able to work out of a two on with one out jam in the top of the ninth to send the game to extra innings.
Senior Stephen Marfione (Medford, Mass.) pitched a scoreless top of the tenth for Rams giving them an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the inning. After Young struck out the first batter of the inning, he walked the next three batters to load the bases with one out and McCarthy at the plate. With the count full, McCarthy was able to foul off several tough pitches before taking ball four forcing the winning run across the plate.
Tomasz went 3-for-4 in the game with a run scored, while Tramontozzi went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and three RBI. McCarthy and Wojcik each had two hits in the game, and Marfione pitched one inning of scoreless relief to record the victory.
Mattei went 3-for-4 for the Beacons, while Walsh went 1-for-5 with two RBI. Lynch, Noonan and Fontaine each picked up two hits in the game.
The Rams return to action tomorrow as they travel to UMass Dartmouth at 3:30 p.m., while the Beacons host Lasell on Thursday night at 7 p.m.