Buck Leads Baseball to 7-5 Win over UMass Boston

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Tory Buck (Shelburne Falls, Mass.) went 3-for-4 with a double, three stolen bases, two runs scored and three RBI to lead the Bridgewater State University baseball team to a 7-5 non-conference victory over visiting UMass Boston on Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Park.

Bridgewater improves to 11-8-1 on the season as the Bears have won five straight games.  The win marked the 490th career coaching victory for BSU skipper Rick Smith.  Smith has compiled a record of 490-265-5 (.648) in 20 seasons, all with the Bears.  UMass drops to a game under .500 as the Beacons slip to 9-10 overall.

UMass opened the scoring with a single run in the first on a sacrifice fly by Matt Consiglio (Southbury, Conn.).  That lead was short-lived, however, as the Bears responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back RBI singles by David Pierce (East Bridgewater, Mass.) and Keane Costa (Fairhaven, Mass.).

Bridgewater took a 6-1 lead with a four-run second inning as John Garabedian (Mansfield, Mass.) singled in a run and Buck delivered a bases-clearing, three-run double.

The Beacons would plate their second run of the day in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Todd Ezold (Westfield, Mass.).  The visitors would cut the deficit to 6-3 when Charles LaPaglia (Marshfield, Mass.) scored on a bases loaded wild pitch in the fifth.

Buck got a run back for the Bears in the bottom of the seventh as he singled, stole second, stole third and raced home on an errant throw by the catcher.

The Beacons would close to within 7-5 on a pair of runs with nobody out in the eighth, but BSU reliever David Holmes (Easton, Mass.) retired the next three batters in the frame and then set down the side in order in the ninth to preserve the win.

Holmes (1-0) picked up his first collegiate victory as he gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits with a walk and five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings of relief.

Shane Surette (Haverhill, Mass.) worked four plus inning in his first collegiate start and did not give up a hit.  Surette allowed three runs on five walks while striking out five.  He also hit a batter.  BSU pitchers combined for a season-high 12 strikeouts in the game.

Garabedian also finished with three hits for the Bears as he went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

Will Barrack (Lancaster, Va.) was handed his third loss of the year, after allowing six runs on six hits through two innings of play.  Harlan Zeerip (Bridgewater, Conn.) and Ryan Augustine (Burlington, Conn.) closed out the final six innings for UMB.  Zeerip ended up going 4 1/3 innings allowing one unearned run, on two hits, while striking out two. Augustine surrendered one hit, while also striking out three in 1 1/3 innings of work. 

UMass managed just three hits in the contest but were also issued eight walks.

Both team return to the diamond on Wednesday.  The Bears host Eastern Connecticut State University at 3:30 PM, while UMass entertains Endicott College at 6:15 PM.