The Massachusetts baseball team suffered back-to-back defeats in their non-conference games against Central Connecticut and Stonehill on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
The Minutemen (12-21, 8-13 Mid-American Conference) fell 6-4 in a hard-fought game against the Blue Devils (13-18, 10-11 Northeast Conference) Tuesday afternoon. Despite a solid effort to redeem itself from an early disadvantage, UMass failed to earn a non-conference win.
The Minutemen then fell hard to the Skyhawks (15-20, 12-6 NEC) on Wednesday, losing 12-5. UMass struggled at-bat against Stonehill, making only eight hits in a frustrating nine innings of getting bested at the plate.
In the eighth inning Tuesday, a controversial balk call was made against Minutemen pitcher Dylan Terwilliger. Carson Lentini advanced home from third, giving Central Connecticut its edge back at 5-4.
The home plate official called the balk at a decisive moment, with two outs at a 4-4 tie game. The moment was met with backlash from both Terwilliger and UMass coaching staff, as fans in the bleachers craned their necks and murmured amongst themselves for further explanation on the call.
The Minutemen’s last-ditch effort to claim victory over the Blue Devils was crushed in the ninth inning. Central Connecticut closed out the game with 1-2-3 putouts, building them to a four-game winning streak.
UMass got out to a slippery start. Starting pitcher Michael Goodman allowed two runs in the first inning, including a deep left field grand slam on the first at-bat of the afternoon.
The Minutemen struggled to build offensive momentum in the early innings of the game. At the top of the fourth inning, the Blue Devils led 3-1. Connecticut State brought home a runner to create a three-run deficit between them and UMass.
A single down the right field line from Marc Willi brought home Jack Beverly from second base to get the Minutemen on the board in the bottom of the second inning.
Lorcan Lee was sent to relieve Goodman, and his pitching performance proved to be a stronghold for the team’s comeback on defense. Lee gave up only two hits during his four innings on the mound and held the opposition to just one run.
UMass’ only claimed one home run in Tuesday’s showdown. Sophomore Gavin O’Brien scored two RBI’s off his grand slam in bottom of the fourth inning, bringing his season total to 33.
O’Brien’s homer sent Anthony Tirado home from third, who had stolen double bases off a wild throwing error from Blue Devils catcher Frankie Ferrentino.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Vance Bonior hit a sacrifice fly ball to center field. His out counted as an RBI for the sophomore, bringing Ty Fox home to tie the game at 4-4.
Defensively, the Minutemen’s outfield came in clutch with a consistent performance by O’Brien and Fox, making nine combined outs.
UMass didn’t capitalize on bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning. Fox struck out swinging on a heated delivery from Anthony Costello to keep the game 2-1 in favor of Central Connecticut.
The Minutemen loaded their bases with the help of Tirado’s single. His right line drive was tipped wide by the glove of Blue Devils first baseman in his failed attempt to make the catch.
From the mound, Goodman gave up three runs off four hits. He walked three and struck out two. Tuesday was his season high for strikeouts and his seventh mound appearance this season.
UMass couldn’t produce any runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Reece McCarthy was stranded on second base after making a successful steal from first.
The Minutemen stole six total bases throughout the game, including two each from McCarthy and Fox.
Willi was hit by a high inside pitch to get him on base to kick off the bottom of the sixth inning. Tirado then struck out during his turn at the plate, bringing his strikeout total to 31 on the season.
Fox, who currently holds the highest batting average on the team, went 0-5 on Wednesday. Tirado and Willi led UMass offensively, each hitting doubles and scoring a combined five RBI’s, the only runs of the day.
“[We were] stringing together immature at-bats throughout the whole game, and definitely in the middle of the game,” Minutemen co-head coach Max Weir said.
Kevin Schnupp took the plate and slammed a triple to deep right field in the fourth inning and scored a run for UMass off a sacrifice fly out to right field from Tirado. Schnupp’s triple was the Minutemen’s biggest hit of the day.
UMass had six total scoreless innings. Despite a three-run offensive push in the second, the Minutemen were consistently unable to bring themselves home and ended with a total of 12 runners left on base.
Stonehill answered the UMass’ three run second inning with two runs of its own in the top of the third.
Starting pitcher Jack Levine struck out five batters at the plate throughout his 74 pitches thrown and gave up four runs off six hits. This was Levine’s fourth mound appearance this season, bringing his record to 1-3.
The Minutemen walked six total Stonehill batters and hit five. The eleven total unearned bases accounted for three of the runs scored against them.
UMass made a change to the defensive lineup with two outs left in the Skyhawks turn at bat with bases loaded in the third. Levine was pulled off the mound and replaced with sophomore Drew Sliwkowski.
Sliwkowski proceeded to give up a disappointing walk, allowing Stonehill to take the edge 4-3. To start the fourth inning, Sliwkowski gave up four runs. Consisting of two hit batters and two walks, the Skyhawks took a five-run advantage over the Minutemen.
UMass sent Bobby McDonough out to the mound in the fifth inning, who kept Stonehill from building their lead until McDonough attempted to make a catch with his throwing hand on a line drive out to center. He made the stop, but failed to make the play at first base, and errored throwing wildly off-target, allowing the Skyhawks to earn another run.
McCarthy also made a throwing error from third, allowing advancements and another run to give Stonehill a 10-4 advantage.
A mound visit was called once again with two outs left in the top of the seventh after McDonough walked John Bureau, giving the Stonehill runners on first and second base an advancement.
In the bottom of the seventh, a confusing turn of events occurred for the Minutemen. O’Brien beat the throw to second as he attempted to advance on Fox’s ground out to first, but the umpire called him out to close the inning and clear the field. The officials consulted one another and both teams’ coaches, and after further discussion overturned the call.
With O’Brien on second, Bonior took the plate next and was hit by a pitch. McCarthy followed with a walk, which loaded the bases for UMass.
The Minutemen could not seize their chance to get back in the game. Willi struck out looking and left three runners on base, throwing away the chance to make it a two-run game heading into the eighth.
Gavin Sitarz took the mound for UMass to relieve McDonough. He held the Skyhawks to just one run in the eighth, striking out two batters and bringing his season total to four.
Tirado made a fielding error at second base to start the eighth, bringing the Minutemen to four errors.
Ryan Kolben scored on an error made in the infield against Stonehill for the first and last run of the night since the fourth inning for UMass. The Minutemen left three on base at the end of the eighth inning.
Bureau added insult to injury by hitting a grand slam to deep right field in the ninth off of UMass closing pitcher, Kai Giro. The Minutemen went scoreless again in their final at-bat of the evening.
“On the weekends we’ve been going in the right direction, building off of guys putting in the work to find the strike zone,” co-head coach Brandon Shileikis said. “In the middle of the week, we’re trying to find guys that are willing to step up and make the same adjustments.”
UMass will travel to Muncie, Ind. for their next series to face-off against Ball State in MAC play on April 24 at 3 p.m.. The series will conclude with a Saturday and Sunday game. Both are scheduled for 1 p.m..
Meghan Barrows can be reached at [email protected] and follows on X @meghansbarrows
