Baseball Blown Past by Corsairs

DARTMOUTH, MA: The Rivier baseball team fell to UMass Dartmouth in non-conference action.

UMass Dartmouth collected its second straight victory to improve to 10-8, while the Raiders slipped to 1-17 on the campaign.

DJ Perron paced the Corsairs' season-high 15-hit attack, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. The Swansea, Mass. product went 4-for-5 with two extra-base hits, a pair of singles, and a hit by pitch for nine total bases. Perron opened the scoring with a three-run shot over the left field fence in the bottom of the first inning, delivered a two-run single in the fourth, and bookended the offensive output with a bases-clearing, three-run double down the right field line in the eighth.

Freshman second baseman Devyn Vezina also turned in a season-best three hits to post his sixth multi-hit game of the campaign. Senior Tyler Lyons hit an inside the park home run down the right field line in the second inning and ripped a two-run single up the middle in the sixth to collect three RBI. Junior Andrew Bryant and sophomore Jared Neikam also produced multi-hit performances to help the hosts score a season-high 19 runs.

Rivier finally solved the Corsairs' pitching staff in the seventh inning, when sophomore Jacob Boudreau (Auburn, NH) placed a bases-loaded, two-run single into left field to cut the deficit to 12-2.

Graduate student Ryan Bruning (3-2) tossed six scoreless innings to earn his third victory of the season. The right-hander limited the visitors to five singles, while striking out a season-high seven on just 78 pitches. Freshman Josh Malcolm and classmate Andrew Steinhubel each worked a scoreless inning in relief for the hosts.

For River, freshman Michael Overlan (Melrose, MA) (0-3) allowed eight runs, only six of which were earned, on nine hits and three free passes over five innings of work. The right-hander fanned six on 89 total pitches.

Rivier baseball will return to action Thursday at 7 p.m. against Springfield College.