NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- Visiting Bridgewater State broke a 2-2 tie by scoring five runs with two out in the top of the ninth and went on to defeat the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's baseball team, 7-3, in a non-conference game at the UMass Dartmouth Athletic Complex Monday.
Senior catcher Keane Costa (Fairhaven, MA) led off the ninth for the Bears with a walk, stole second, and moved to third on a bunt single by senior right fielder Tory Buck (Shelburne Falls, MA). Freshman right-hander Richard Budion (Brewster, MA) relieved freshman left-hander Paul Mahoney (North Andover, MA) for UMD. Buck stole second, but Budion struck out sophomore pinch-hitter Nicholas White (Bellingham, MA) and got senior center fielder John Garabedian (Mansfield, MA) to ground out to third. However, sophomore second baseman Kevin Sugermeyer (Hampden, MA) doubled home two runs, senior designated hitter Sean Riley (Fairhaven, MA) singled home another, and an RBI single by senior first baseman David Pierce (East Bridgewater, MA) and a run-scoring double by senior shortstop Trevor Lawson (Easton, MA) made it 7-2.
UMD rallied in the bottom of the ninth, scoring once on a single by freshman right fielder Connor Shaw (Goffstown, NH), but senior right-hander Jake Roderick (Provincetown, MA), who entered the game in the ninth, retired the side to end the game.
The Corsairs took the early lead, going ahead, 1-0, in the bottom of the third. With one out, sophomore third baseman George Aggostini (Dighton, MA) doubled to left. One out later, sophomore first baseman Alex Newton (Saco, ME) singled him home.
Bridgewater State scored twice in the top of the eighth. Garabedian led off with a single, moved to second on a Sugermeyer's sacrifice bunt, and went to third on a hit by Pierce. After Pierce stole second, the runners moved up on a passed ball, with Garabedian scoring. Lawson singled to left to score Pierce.
The Corsairs tied it in their half of the eighth. Sophomore designated hitter Luke Bomback (Swansea, MA) singled and stole second with two outs. Senior catcher Matt Worden (New Bedford, MA) reached on Lawson's error, stole second, and moved to third on a passed ball, which scored Bomback with the tying run.
Junior right-hander Patrick Martin (Rockland, MA), who allowed eight hits and one earned run in eight innings, earned the win for BSU, improving to 3-0. Senior right-hander Aaron Brunette (North Andover, MA), the third of five Corsair pitchers, took the loss and dropped to 0-2.
Lawson led BSU's ten-hit attack as he went 3-for-3 with a pair of walks and two RBI. Pierce finished 2-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs and an RBI, while Riley went 2-for-3 with a stolen base, a run and an RBI.
The Corsairs dropped to 4-9 with the defeat, while the Bears improved to 7-8-1 with the victory. UMass Dartmouth will return to action when they visit Worcester State on Thursday. Bridgewater State will visit Johnson & Wales on Thursday.