BOSTON — Logan Greene hit a sacrifice fly that scored Connor Smith in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift UMass to a 10-9 win over Harvard in the Beanpot championship game Wednesday at Fenway Park.
It is the Minutemen’s (11-18) first Beanpot championship since 2012 and seventh all-time, which trails just Boston College’s 13 for most in the 30-year history of the tournament.
Anthony Videtto led off the ninth with a double into the left-field corner and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Smith tied the game with a single that bounced into the outfield, and Ryan Lever beat out a bunt that stayed fair on the chalk line. A sacrifice bunt from Alec Norton moved the runners up 90 feet and forced Harvard to intentionally walk Kane Medina.
UMass skipper Matt Reynolds inserted Greene into the game as a pinch hitter, and the senior sent a deep drive to center field that was plenty deep enough for Smith to trot home from third.
The Crimson (18-9) broke a 3-3 deadlock with four runs in the top of the fifth, taking advantage of two key errors from the Minutemen (10-19). UMass right fielder Nolan Kessinger misjudged a fly ball with runners on first and third and ball bounced in front of him, denying the Minutemen of what would have been the second out of the inning. Two batters later after Harvard added another run, Eddy Hart let a double-play ball slip between his legs to bring home two runs.
UMass put itself in a position to respond quickly to the Harvard rally, loading the bases in the bottom half of the inning. Singles from Luke Oliphant and Collin Shapiro brought the Minutemen within two, but Hart grounded into a double play to end the threat.
After failing to capitalize on runners in scoring position in the sixth, the Minutemen took advantage of three wild pitches from the Harvard pitching staff in the seventh inning. Oliphant singled to lead off the frame and then advanced around the diamond on those three throws that skipped past the catcher. With two runners in scoring position, Videtto brought home both runners with a well-place single into the left-field corner.
The Minutemen loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning as well, but stranded all three runners with a pop-up in the infield. The Minutemen left 16 runners on base in the first eight innings while generating 15 hits and working eight walks.
Harvard teed off on UMass pitching earlier with a pair of home runs to stake itself to a 3-0 lead after the second inning. Pat McColl hit one just inside Pesky’s Pole in the first inning and Bravo rocketed one over the Green Monster in the second.
The Minutemen responded in the third inning with four straight hits from the top of the lineup, including a pair of run-scoring extra-base hits, before recording an out. Lever tied the game with an RBI single later in the innings after UMass ran itself out of a run with a botched double steal.
Oliphant finished the day 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, one of five Minutemen with multiple hits on a night all nine starters recorded at least one hit.
Wheaton 14, Amherst 7 — Stephen Burke drove in three runs on two his, while Chase Henley had three RBIs. Joseph Palmo singled twice and doubled for the Mammoths (14-10). Kai Terada-Herzer scored two runs and had two hits.
Springfield College 9, Rhode Island College 5 — Granby grad Noah Bleakley homered, finishing with two hits and four RBIs for the Pride.
Frontier Regional’s Ben Arnold struck out one in an inning of relief.
Boston College 6, UMass 2 — Erin Stacevicz and Kaycee Carbone drove in runs on bases-loaded walks in the sixth. Hannah Bunker singled twice for the Minutewomen (20-17).
Williams 5, Amherst 3 — Sammy Salustri drove in two runs on two hits for the Mammoths (16-8, 3-4 NESCAC). Kyra Naftel doubled. Virginia Ryan had an RBI.
Springfield 21, Mount Holyoke 8 — Granby graduate Kate Sarnacki scored seven times for the Pride in a win.
Northampton’s Abby Baldwin had a goal for the Lyons (7-6, 2-3 NEWMAC). Caroline Flynn found the net four times and added an assist. Deyscha Smith had a goal and an assist. Mia Wysocki made 12 saves.
Amherst 21, Babson 10 — Hannah Fox scored five times and added an assist for the Mammoths (9-4). Claire Dunbar had two goals and three assists.
Maia Noyes (two assists) and Rebecca Wistreich (assist) each added hat tricks.
Annie Cohen scored with an assist.
Talia Land made nine saves, and Katie Savage stopped two shots.
Wheaton 15, Smith 4 — Amherst grad Meg Sharick had an assist for the Lyons.
Northampton’s Emily Biggs scored for the Pioneers (6-7, 4-1 NEWMAC). Chloe Harris added two assists. Alyssa Schams saved nine shots.
Amherst 8, Bates 1 — Sean Wei, Zach Bessette, Harris Foulkes and William Turchetta won their singles and doubles matches for the Mammoths.
Amherst 9, Bates 0 — Camille Smukler beat Bella Stone in straight sets at No. 2 singles for the Mammoths.