The first round of the Baseball Beanpot took place today with Northeastern taking on Harvard and Umass playing Boston College. Northeastern in the first game hammered Harvard behind a 18 hit husky attack which saw them walk away with a 16-5 victory. UMass scored three runs over the final two innings to break a 2-2 tie and advance to the Beanpot Championship game with the 5-2 victory. The championship game on Monday will see Boston College face off against Harvard in the Consolation game while Northeastern will play UMass in the Championship game at Fenway Park. The full recaps of the game are available below.
Northeastern 16 Harvard 5
The Huskies scored early and often to take down the Crimson is the first round of the Baseball Beanpot. The Huskies launched four home runs at Campanelli Stadium on their way to a 16-5 victory.
Harvard scored early in the game putting up three runs in the top of the first but the Huskies battled back and in the bottom half of the first tied the game scoring three runs of their own. James Donaldson hit a two run triple and on the next pitch Frank Pesanello drove Donaldson home with a single through the left side.
While the Huskies pitching staff kept the Crimson at bay the Huskies bats continued to pound the ball in the bottom of the third. Mike Tamsin led with a walk and James Donaldson drove him to third with a stand-up double. With runners on second and third Frank Pesanello smashed a ball down the left field line clearing the 320 marker on the rise. It was Pesanello’s fourth home run of the season. Northeastern added one more run in the inning, Brendan Stokes scored off a Matt Miller single.
Mike Tamsin led off the bottom of the fourth inning in style taking the first pitch to left field. It was Tamsin’s fourth home run of the season. The Huskies scored eight unanswered runs.
Northeastern continued to score in the fifth inning bringing an additional four runs across. David Gustafson scored after hitting his 14th double of the season. Brendan Stokes, Sam Berg, and Mike Tamsin also came across to score. After five full innings the score was 14-4 Huskies.
In the bottom of the seventh James Donaldson hit his team leading fifth home run of the season and the third Huskies bomb of the game. Donaldson went 3-4 with three RBI and four runs scored.
In the bottom of the eighth Brendan Stokes led the Huskies off with a home run to dead center, his second homer of the season.
JT Ross pitched a strong game earning the win with eight innings of work. Ross struck out four batter and allowed four earned runs. Andrew Leenhouts pitched the final inning for the Huskies.
The 16 runs the Huskies scored was the most since scoring 17 on May 9, 2007 when they defeated UMass 17-12.
The Huskies advance to the Beanpot finals next Monday at Fenway Park. The Huskies will play UMass for the title.
Northeastern Recap
Harvard Recap
UMass 5 Boston College 2
BROCKTON, Mass. – For a second straight year, the UMass baseball team will play in the Beanpot Championship game as the squad earned a 5-2 win over Boston College in the Beanpot Semifinal at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton on Tuesday night. The Minutemen post their second straight victory to move to 8-16 on the year, while the Eagles fall to 19-11. UMass will take on Northeastern for the Beanpot title next Monday, Apr. 13, at 5 p.m. at Fenway Park.
BC was on the board first, posting back-to-back homeruns in the bottom of the second. Mickey Wiswall sent a 2-1 pitch over the right field fence and Mike Belfiore hit another solo shot to right, bringing the score to 2-0. That would be all four the Eagles, however, as the squad managed just three hits in the remaining seven innings, all singles.
With one out in the top of the fourth, the Minutemen leveled the score at 2-2 with one swing of the bat. Junior Brian Baudinet ripped a triple to left, past a diving Mike Sudol, while senior Jim Macdonald followed and rocketed a 1-2 pitch off the scoreboard for a two-run homer.
UMass later plated the winning run in the top of the eighth. Brockton native Adam Tempesta led off with a double to left center and scored on an RBI single by Baudinet. Tempesta then finished off his evening in his hometown by plating a pair of insurance runs the following inning as he dropped a single into right field that brought home sophomore Peter Copa and freshman Tom Conley.
Sophomore Charlie Benson came out of the bullpen for the Minutemen to pick up the win (1-0), pitching a masterful 5.1 innings of scoreless relief, letting up just two hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Boston College starter Pat Dean took the loss (4-2) as he gave up three runs on eight hits in seven innings on the mound, walked two and struck out 10.
Baudinet led all hitters with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate with two triples, an RBI and a run scored. Tempesta finished 2-for-5 with two RBI and one run scored as he now has 199 hits in his career. Junior Mike Donato also had multiple hits, going 2-for-4 against the Eagles.
UMass will return to action tomorrow, Apr. 8, playing host to UConn at 3 p.m. on Earl Lorden Field.
UMass Recap
Boston College Recap
