The University of Massachusetts baseball team lost to Toledo with a final score of 16-11 on Sunday afternoon at Scott Park in Ohio.
With this result, UMass’s record dropped to 4-5 overall and 0-3 in the Mid-American Conference. Toledo improved to 6-8 overall and remained undefeated in conference play at 3-0.
Anthony Tirado, Jack Beverly, and Will Briggs each had two hits for the Minutemen. Five other players from UMass also recorded hits during the game. Briggs and Vance Bonior both scored twice, while Gavin O’Brine led the team with three runs batted in (RBI). Ty Fox and Marc Willi contributed two RBI each.
UMass hit a season-high three home runs during the contest. O’Brien, Willi, and Briggs each hit one homer; it was the second of the year for both O’Brien and Briggs, while Willi notched his first of the season.
In the first inning, Tirado singled to right field, stole second base, reached third on an error, and then scored after Fox grounded out. In the top of the second inning, Braden Sullivan walked before Briggs singled to put runners on first and second. Bonior doubled to drive Sullivan home for a 2-0 lead. A two-out three-run homer by O’Brien increased UMass’s advantage to 5-0.
Toledo responded in their half of the second inning with three runs off back-to-back doubles. The Rockets took a 6-5 lead in the third after another double drove in more runs and added one more run in the fourth inning before breaking open the game with six runs in the fifth frame for a commanding 13-5 lead.
Bonior stole home for Massachusetts in the sixth inning as they tried to close the gap. Another run came across on an RBI single by UMass in seventh but Toledo kept its distance by adding three more runs later that inning.
Willi homered with Fox aboard for two additional Minutemen runs in eighth; however, Toledo still led comfortably going into ninth where Briggs hit his second career home run followed by an RBI single from Fox that set up the final scoreline at 16-11.
Justin Masteralexis took his first loss of this season after pitching nearly three innings while giving up five hits and six runs along with four walks and striking out two batters. Ryan Hughes picked up his win for Toledo after allowing only two hits over just above two innings without conceding any runs or walks while striking out two opponents.
UMass is scheduled next to host Holy Cross on Tuesday, March 10 at Earl Lorden Field with live streaming available via ESPN+.
