The UMass Dartmouth Corsairs avoided a scare as they preserved a 14-13 victory over Suffolk University in non-league baseball action on Thursday afternoon at Adams Field in Quincy.
Junior Matt Russell (Townsend, Mass.) escaped a bases loaded jam in the ninth with one out to earn his first save of the season as the Corsairs improve to a 21-14 record on the season.
UMass Dartmouth was able to jump out early as they built an 8-0 lead through four innings of play. Freshman Ervin Kantardzic (Roslindale, Mass.) hit a grand slam as part of a six-run fourth inning that featured four walks and a hit batter for the Corsairs offensively.
Kantardzic would finished the afternoon a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate with five RBI and two runs scored.
UMass Dartmouth collected nine hits total in the contest but were issued nine walks to along with with a pair of hit batters and took advantage of five Suffolk errors.
Suffolk would chip away at the lead however scoring once in the fifth when senior Adam Johnson (Georgetown, Mass.) grounded out to bring home freshman Seth Coiley (Arlington, Mass.), who led the inning off with a triple.
In the home half of the sixth inning Suffolk would score eight runs to bring the game to a 9-9 standstill. Junior Drew Carter (Newburyport, Mass.) would hit a bases clearing triple, while Johnson added a triple later in the inning and freshman Brady Chant (Warwick, R.I.) knocked in a run with a double.
Senior George Agostini (Rehoboth, Mass.) would break the tie as his RBI single knocked in senior Ryan Medeiros (Acushnet, Mass.) who draw a walk to lead off the inning. With two outs and the bases loaded a failed back pick on the runner at first would end up down the rightfield line clearing the bases as the Corsairs left the eighth with a 14-9 lead.
Suffolk would tack on one in the eighth as senior JC Collette (Amesbury, Mass.) knocked in Chant who singled with two outs in the inning.
In the ninght a pair of hit batters with an error and single would load up the bases giving Suffolk a chance with one swing of the bat. Chant would bring in a pair of runs with his third hit of the ball game. Russell would enter the game and issue a walk to the first hitter he faced but record the final two outs to preserve the victory.
Chant led a 13-hit Suffolk attacked as he was 3-for-6 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored. Collette also collected three hits on the day, while Coiley and Johnson each had two.
UMass Dartmouth will travel to the University of Southern Maine on Friday for Little East Conference doubleheader beginning at 12:00pm.
Suffolk will host Williams College on Saturday in non-league action at Adams Field beginning at 12:00pm.