Massachusetts 12, Vermont 7

BOX SCORE

AMHERST, Mass. – An eight-run eighth inning for Massachusetts spelled doom for Vermont as the Minutemen topped the Catamounts, 12-7, in college baseball at Earl Lorden Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Behind a pair of run-scoring doubles by Jason Carey and a two-run homer by Kyle Brault, the Catamounts (21-9) jumped out to a 7-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth. With one Chris Morgan homered off Cats’ starter Jared Slater (6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K’s) to make it 7-1. In the seventh, UMass took advantage of two UVM errors for three runs off reliever Chris Blazek to cut it to 7-4.

The wheels came off the Vermont wagon in the eighth as the Minutemen (16-15) sent 11 hitters to the plate in tallying eight times. They had six hits, five for extra bases, off Blazek and loser Brett Dobens (0-3), with the big blows two-run homers by Jason Twomley and John Seed.

In the ninth, the Catamounts loaded the bases with two outs before Eric Chown, one of UMass’ top starters, came in to strike out Chris Marsh for the save. Anthony Gallo (2-0), who came on in the sixth to shut the door on the Cats, picked up the win for the Minutemen.

At the plate for the Catamounts, Brault’s homer was his seventh of the season while Carey went 2-for-3 with three RBI and Barry Chamberland had a double and a triple. Marsh, a freshman who has been solid since moving into the lineup over the weekend, hit his first career homer, a solo shot in the fifth.

The Catamounts return to America East action hosting Hartford this weekend with doubleheaders on tap for Saturday and Sunday.