Greyhound baseball rallies to defeat Southern Connecticut, 12-11, and claim a piece of first-place in Northeast-10 Conference

Assumption 12, Southern Connecticut 11

WORCESTER, Mass. --- Assumption College fell behind early, scored 11 unanswered runs, and then held on with junior relief ace TIM DUPUIS (Suffield, CT/Suffield) to stop Southern Connecticut State, 12-11, in Northeast-10 Conference baseball TUESDAY at Rocheleau Field.

The win give the Greyhounds a 15-11 overall record and a share of first-place in the conference with an 8-4 mark, tied with UMass Lowell and Bentley. Southern Connecticut is now 8-10 and 3-2.

Southern Connecticut was led by freshman first baseman RYAN GEFFERT (Plymouth, PA/Wyoming Valley West) who had four hits, including a first-inning grand slam homer (his sixth homer of the season), two doubles, a sacrifice fly and seven RBI. The Owls outhit the Greyhounds, 18-15.

The Greyhounds stormed back in the bottom of the first inning as senior second baseman MIKE BAILLARGEON (Worcester, MA/Holy Name) doubled and freshman catcher MIKE FOLEY (Worcester, MA/Saint John's) hammered his first collegiate home run to make it 4-2. Junior designated hitter MATTHEW JOSE (Warwick, RI/Bishop Hendricken) singled across two more runs to tie the game.

In the second inning the Greyhounds continued the onslaught. Back to-back sacrifice flies by junior centerfielder DEREK MIGRANTS (Ayer, MA/Ayer) and Foley and a RBI single by senior third baseman MIKE DIREDA (Shrewsbury, MA/Saint John's) made it 7-4.

DiReda singled across two more in the third inning, while junior first baseman TIM SCAFIDI (Worcester, MA/Burncoat) and Migrants contributed RBI singles as the Hounds built an 11-4 advantage.

Southern got two back on a sophomore outfielder ANDREW BABB (Hopkinton, MA/Ashland) two-run double in the fourth inning, another on a sacrifice fly by Geffert in the sixth inning to make it 11-7.

A bases-loaded walk to sophomore shortstop SHAWN FRIGON (Worcester, MA/Saint Peter-Marian) pushed across the eventual game winner in the sixth for the Greyhounds to make it 12-7.

Dupuis career record-breaking 52nd relief appearance for the Greyhounds netted his fourth save this season and 11th in his career. Dupuis threw 19 strikes out of 24 pitches getting a pair of strikeouts and finishing the game with superb defensive play on a hard-hit ball back up the middle.

Baillargeon led the hit parade with three hits and now has 224 in his career (fourth place), while Frigon, Migrants, Scafidi and DiReda all chipped in with two hits.

The Greyhounds play at Southern Connecticut THURSDAY at 3 p.m. before breaking for the Easter weekend.

Click here for ASSUMPTION-SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT box score