Baseball Rallies for 7-6 Victory over UMass on Fain's Walk-Off Homer

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MOREHEAD, Ky. – Sophomores Niko Hulsizer and Hunter Fain played hero Friday night for the Morehead State baseball team. Trailing 6-2 and down to their last three outs, Hulsizer delivered a bases-clearing double and Fain cranked a two-out, two-run walk-off homer to propel the Eagles to a 7-6 victory over Massachusetts at Allen Field.
 
The win pushed the Eagles' overall record to 20-6 as MSU has now won seven straight and 15 of the last 16.
 
It was a mighty battle all night as the Eagle bullpen kept its team within striking distance with five shutout innings, but the offense could not capitalize on it opportunities until the last at-bat.
 
"It looked pretty bleak for a while," said head coach Mike McGuire. "But we have shown incredible resiliency this year, and we were able to do it again tonight. Credit their starting pitcher, he kept us guessing all night and we didn't execute very well before the ninth."
 
UMass starter Justin Lasko surrendered nine hits but just two runs in eight innings. The Minutemen decided to go with closer Christian Rosati for the ninth.
 
Rosati opened the ninth with a strikeout, but then senior centerfielder Ryan Kent singled through the left side to kickstart the rally. Sophomore shortstop Reid Leonard coaxed a six-pitch walk, and then senior DH Michael Patrick was plunked with a pitch on an 0-2 count.
 
Hulsizer, who had six home runs in the last three games, nearly tied the game as he crushed a three-run double to deep left center field to make it 6-5. After another strikeout, Fain lifted a 2-1 Rosati offering over the high wall in right field to set off the victory celebration at the plate.
 
"I knew it had a chance, but I thought it might have been off the wall when I hit it," said Fain. "Credit Niko though, that was a huge hit because I wouldn't have gotten a chance to win if he didn't do that."
 
The Eagles found themselves behind 5-0 in the second after the Minutemen sprayed three short singles into the outfield and took advantage of rough, wet fielding conditions in the outfield to garner a few more bases.
 
A double-play ground out and RBI single by Kent got it to 5-2 following the bottom of the second.
 
Junior righty Seth Boyle tossed 2.1 innings, allowing only two hits, before giving way to senior lefty Cable Wright for his 99^th career appearance. Wright got the next four outs without allowing a hit, and freshman righthander Alex Garbrick tossed a perfect ninth frame to be credited with the win to improve to 3-0.
 
Starter Aaron Leasher collected seven strikeouts but issued five walks – his total of the entire year in his first six starts.
 
Hulsizer finished with a 3-for-4 night, part of a 12-hit effort for the offense. MSU has now tallied double-digit hits in seven straight games. Fain was 2-for-5, while Kent's two singles moved him to second place on the program's career singles list with 172.
 
The teams will continue the weekend series on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.