PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Alex Rives (Gilford, N.H.) ripped a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to lift Plymouth State University over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in game one of a
Senior Day Little East Conference (LEC) baseball double header at Parish Field on Friday.
The Corsairs rallied to tie game one in the ninth and had two runners on, but senior
Eoin Hamell-Kelleher (Attleboro, Mass.) worked out of the jam to keep the game even. With two down and the winning run on second, Rives laced a single to left centerfield for the 8-7 walk-off win.
UMass Dartmouth used strong pitching in game two to limit the Panthers' offense, while the Corsairs scored in five different innings to take game two, 13-2, in seven innings.
Between games, Plymouth State honored its senior class in a brief on-field ceremony;
Trey Parker (Meriden, N.H.),
Sean Thompson (Georgetown, Mass.),
Nick Healey (Campton, N.H.),
Griffin Crane (Lancaster, N.H.),
Bobby Cliche (Stratham, N.H.),
Bryan McGrath (Franklin, Mass.), Hamell-Kelleher and Rives.
Plymouth State moves to 11-18 (3-10 LEC), while UMass Dartmouth goes to 17-15 (6-7 LEC).
The Basics:
- Game 1: Plymouth State 8, UMass Dartmouth 7
- Game 2: Plymouth State 2, UMass Dartmouth 13 (7 Inn.)
- Plymouth State (11-18, 3-10 LEC)
- UMass Dartmouth (17-15, 6-7 LEC)
How it Happened (Game One):
- UMass Dartmouth jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the top of the first.
- McGrath ripped a single to start the bottom of the second and Crane followed with a deep shot to centerfield for his second homer in as many days to make it 3-2.
- The Corsairs plated a run in the fourth, but PSU answered back in the bottom of the frame.
- McGrath took a four-pitch walk and junior Joshua Welsh (East Lyme, Conn.) smacked a one-out single through the right side. Sophomore Sam Malgeri (Stratham, N.H.) laced a double to the fence in left center to score a run and freshman Aidan Ponder (Merrimack, N.H.) singled a batter later to tie the game.
- UMass Dartmouth got a clutch two-out hit to go back in front, 6-4, in the fifth.
- Welsh and Malgeri had back-to-back hits to start the sixth. Malgeri swiped second and the throw got past the second baseman to allow Welsh to score to pull within 6-5.
- Junior Jackson Curtis (Jefferson, N.H.) doubled over the first base bag to start the seventh and classmate Luke Sokolski (Waterford, Conn.) poked a single into right to tie the game at 6-6. Sokolski was bunted over and an intentional walk and error loaded the bases before Ponder took ball four to force in the go-ahead run.
- UMD tied the game with a run in the top of the ninth.
- Rives came to the plate with the winning run on second and smashed a base hit to left center for the win.
By the Numbers (Game One):
- Five different Panthers had two-hit games; Rives, Sokolski, Welsh, Malgeri and Ponder.
- Curtis and Malgeri doubled, while Crane homered for the second straight game.
- Ponder reached base four times, adding a pair of walks to his two hits. He and Crane each drove in two.
- Parker struck out four over the first six innings, while Hamell-Kelleher allowed just one earned run over the final three to pick up the win.
How it Happened (Game Two):
- UMD got on the board early with a two-run homer in the first.
- Rives walked and Curtis singled to start the bottom of the inning and a throwing error on a pickoff attempt made it 2-1.
- The Corsairs came with two in the second to make it 4-1.
- UMass Dartmouth extended the margin with a three-run fourth.
- Sophomore Scooter Summa (Ellicott City, Md.) singled and Curtis walked in the fifth, but a hot shot off the bat of Sokolski was snared by the third baseman.
- The visitors scored three in both the sixth and seventh innings.
- Rives doubled and Curtis ripped a single down the rightfield line in the bottom of the seventh to account for the final score.
By the Numbers (Game Two):
- Curtis reached base three times with two singles and a walk. He also drove in a run.
- Rives doubled, walked, and scored twice.
- The teams have split the last two season series.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State heads to Southern Maine on Tuesday (May 2) for a 4:30 p.m. clash with the Huskies.
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