AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- The Bates baseball team dropped a pair of games to UMass Boston on Saturday by scores of 9-0 and 4-2 at the RussMatt Invitational.
Game One: UMass Boston 9, Bates 0
UMass Boston showed off their pitching prowess, holding the Bobcats to one hit in the first game of the twin bill. That one hit belonged to Brendan Fox '17 (West Hartford, Conn.). He singled in the bottom of the fourth.
The big inning hurt Bates starter Connor Colombo '16 (Mendon, Mass.). The right-hander allowed one run through the first three innings. But in the top of the fourth UMass Boston scored seven runs with two outs. It all started with Kyle Boudrias singling up the middle. Anthony Searles was hit by a pitch and Luke Nagle reached on a Bates error, loading the bases.
The error allowed the inning to continue and UMass Boston took full advantage. Ray Zincone singled down the right field line, driving in two runs. That started a string of five straight hits and when the dust cleared the Bobcats trailed 8-0.
The Bobcats did draw five walks in the game. Ryan McCarthy '17 (Plaistow, N.H.) drew a pair of walks at the top of the lineup.
Bates' best scoring opportunity game in the fourth inning when Samuel Warren '16 (Norfolk, Va.) walked to start the frame and Fox singled. But a double play erased Fox, putting Warren at third with two outs. Asher MacDonald '18 (Hillsborough, N.C.) drew a walk to put runners at the corners but UMass-Boston starter Dan Mantoni got out of the jam to maintain the shutout.
Each teams made three errors in the contest and UMass-Boston out-hit Bates 9-1. First-year Justin Foley (Lynnfield, Mass.) tossed three innings of one-run ball out of the bullpen for the Bobcats.
Game Two: UMass Boston 4, Bates 2
The Bobcats out-hit UMass Boston 12-10 in game two but fell by a score of 4-2.
Conor Reenstierna '16 (Lincoln, Mass.) tallied three hits and a run scored. Brendon Canavan '17 (Carlisle, Mass.) added two hits, including a double, a run scored and a RBI. Reed Mszar '18 (Manassas, Va.) and John Dinucci '17 (West Hartford, Conn.) added two hits apiece of their own with Dinucci contributing an RBI.
Bates got on the board first in the top of the fourth against UMass Boston starter JT Morin. Canavan singled to start the frame. One out later MacDonald and Mszar singled to load the bases. Dinucci followed with a RBI single to put the Bobcats up 1-0.
But the Beacons rallied with two runs in the bottom of the fourth against Bates starter Connor Speed '18 (San Diego, Calif.). With one away Boudrias singled. Searles doubled him home and Nagle singled in Searles to put the Beacons up 2-1.
Bates tied the game in the top of the fifth. Reenstierna singled and the Bobcats bunted him to second. Canavan doubled off new pitcher Steve Consiglio, driving in Reenstierna and knotting the game at two.
UMass Boston took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth. Josh Lopez singled to lead-off the inning and the Beacons bunted him to second. Dan Mantoni singled Lopez in to put the Beacons up 3-2.
The Beacons added an insurance run in the sixth to extend their lead to 4-2.
Bates rallied in the seventh inning of the seven-inning contest. With one away Reenstierna and Fox hit back-to-back singles. But Bates left them stranded, falling just short in the second half of the twin bill. Fox has now reached base safely in all eight games so far this season.
Bates is back in action Sunday evening as they take on Babson at 5:00 p.m.
