Box Score May 20, 2009
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Dayton, Ohio - In a game which saw a number of scoring opportunities slide away with 21 runners left on base, it was UMass' Adam Tempesta's RBI-single in the bottom of the eighth, which turned out to be the game-winning hit, as the Massachusetts Minutemen opened the 2009 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championships with a 5-4 victory over the Fordham Rams at Fifth Third Field in Dayton, Ohio.
With the loss, Fordham falls to 22-31 overall, while Massachusetts improves to 26-24.
Massachusetts opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, as Sam Boone and Tempesta started things off with back-to-back singles, and were sacrificed to second and third by Brian Baudinet. Boone then scored on a ground out by Jim MacDonald.
Fordham then took advantage of some wildness by Minutemen starter Mitchell Clegg, tying the game at one in the top of the third. John Kahn led off with a single to center and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kahn then stole third, while Danny Leach drew a walk to put runners at the corners. Brian Kownacki then cracked an RBI-single to score Kahn. The Rams would load the bases on another wild pitch and a walk to Chris Walker, but Clegg got Angelo Ponte to strike out to end the threat.
The Rams then grabbed a 2-1 lead with a run in the top of the fifth inning. With two out, Kownacki connected for his second hit of the afternoon, followed by a single by Bobby DiNardo. Walker then looped a single into center to score Kownacki for the lead. The Rams looked for more as a failed pickoff attempt throw got away from the UMass first baseman Mike Gedman, but Gedman fired home to get DiNardo trying to score from second to end the inning.
Fordham let another opportunity to score slip away in the top of the sixth, as Mike Mobbs ripped a one-out triple to center, but Mobbs was thrown out at home on a ground ball to the following batter, Nick Martinez.
The Minutemen took advantage of those base running mistakes, as they retook a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Tom Conley connected for a two-out single, followed by a two-run home run by Peter Copa, his fifth of the season.
Fordham quickly tied the game in the top of the seventh, as Alex Kenny led off with a triple into the right field corner, and one out later, scored on a Kownacki's third single of the game.
UMass came right back to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom half of the frame, as Baudinet doubled with one out, while Macdonald hit an RBI-single off Fordham reliever Daniel Munday to take the one-run edge.
The Rams tried to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth, as Mobbs and pinch-hitter Ryan Maghini both singled with two outs to knock Clegg out of the game. Minutemen reliever Brian Leigh though got Kahn to fly out to center to end the threat.
The Minutemen extended their lead to two, 5-3, on an RBI-single by Tempesta, his third hit of the day, scoring Copa, who reached on a walk.
The Rams tried to rally back again in the ninth, as pinch-hitter Stephen McSherry led off with a single, followed by a one-out walk to Kownacki. After a strike out, Walker came through with his second RBI-single of the day, scoring Kownacki. Leigh however was able to get a ground out by Ponte to end the contest, 5-4, in favor of UMass.
Clegg got the win for the Minutemen, improving to 7-1 on the season, after allowing three earned runs on ten hits with seven strikeouts in 7.1 innings, while Brian Leigh recorded his third save of the season, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts.
J.P. Mack (6-3) took the loss, giving up four earned runs on eight hits in 6.1 innings, while Munday threw the final 1.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits. At the plate, Kownacki led the attack with 3-for-4 performance with two RBI, while Walker was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Mobbs also had a pair of hits, which included a triple.
The Rams will now await the loser of the Charlotte-Xavier game in the first elimination game of the tournament, which will take place later tonight at 7:00 PM.
