Final Score: Vermont 6, Hartford 5 -- Box Score
WEST HARTFORD, Conn.- A tie-breaking run-scoring single by Kyle Massie (Rutland, Vt.) in the ninth inning lifted Vermont to 6-5 win over Hartford in America East baseball Thursday afternoon at Campus Field.

The game was the conference opener for the Catamounts (3-22, 1-0 America East), who snapped an eight-game losing streak with the win. It also is the 399th career victory for UVM head coach Bill Currier, who is in his 19th season at his alma mater.

Massie went 2-for-4 and scored twice while freshman Jeff Nolet (Concord, Mass.) drove in five runs including four on his first career homer, a third-inning grand slam deep to left field. Matt Naimoli (Potomac, Md.) went 3-for-4 and his single in the ninth started the game-winning rally.

The teams were tied at 4-4 heading into the deciding ninth inning when Naimoli led with an infield single and was replaced by pinchrunner Nick Gallipani (Brewster, N.Y.). Chad Morris (Whitestown, Ind.). then sacrificed Gallipani to second before he scooted home on Massie’s single to centerfield. Will Huntington (Montville, Conn.) followed with a double to move Massie to third and Hartford’s Ben Sobocinski (0-3) intentionally walked Jason Carey (Colchester, Vt.) to load the bases. With two outs, Nolet worked Sobocinski for a walk to force in Huntington to make it 6-4.

The insurance run was huge as Bill Perry homered off reliever Chris Marsh (Bristol, Conn.) to open the bottom of the ninth to make it 6-5. Marsh (1-4) then settled down to retire the next three hitters in order to pick up the victory.

After Nolet’s grand slam opened the scoring, the Hawks (4-22, 2-3) made it 4-2 in the bottom of the third on Brady Stouffer’s two-run single. Hartford added single runs in the fourth and fifth off UVM starter Bryan Rembisz (Clinton, Conn.) to tie it.

Rembisz scattered 11 hits over 6.2 innings but walked just two and struck out six before giving way to Marsh, who pitched out of a seventh-inning jam. The only blemish for Marsh in his two-plus innings was the solo homer by Perry, who went 2-for-3 for the Hawks.

UH starter Pete Moraski also was effective in eight innings allowing only six hits, three walks along with five strikeouts before Sobocinski came in to pitch the ninth.

The Catamounts and Hawks play a doubleheader (two seven inning contests) Friday starting at 12:00pm before have a final, nine-inning game on Saturday, also at noon. All games will be played at Hartford’s new on campus baseball diamond in West Hartford.