HARTFORD, Conn. — Freshman designated hitter
Braden Connors hit for the cycle as the Holy Cross baseball team cruised to a 21-5 victory over the University of Massachusetts on Wednesday, March 13 at Murren Family Field in the teams' New England opener.
STATS LEADERS:
Holy Cross (5-10)
Connors (4-for-4, double, triple, home run, walk, five RBI, four runs scored)
Baillargeon (2-for-4, double, two RBI, two walks, three runs scored)
Royer (2-for-4, two RBI, two runs scored, stolen base)
Wieder (2-for-5, RBI, stolen base)
McElroy (triple, three walks, RBI, three runs scored, stolen base)
UMass (3-8)
Beverly (2-for-2, two RBI)
Tichy (double, two RBI)
Hoog (double, two runs scored)
THE DECISION:
W: Mateffy (1-1)
L: Jensen (0-1)
S: Harnisch (1)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Freshman catcher Colin Brown drew a walk with the bases loaded to give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
- After a leadoff double in the bottom of the first, UMass drove in a run to knot the score at 1-1.
- Holy Cross plated six runs in the top of the fourth. Junior left fielder Connor Cooney led off the frame with a single, and after a triple by senior right fielder Jake McElroy, a double by junior first baseman Chris Baillargeon and double from freshman second baseman Alex Sandell, the Crusaders extended their lead to 4-1. After a base hit and walk, freshman center fielder Gianni Royer singled to score two more runs, and freshman third baseman Cam Bryant's sac fly pushed the lead to 7-1.
- After two Holy Cross batters were hit, freshman designated hitter Braden Connors hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning to extend the Crusader lead to 10-1. A passed ball scored Brown later in the frame to make it an 11-1 game.
- The Minutemen scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to bring them within 11-5.
- McElroy scored a run on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth, and an RBI triple by Connors gave the Crusaders a 13-5 lead. Connors then scored on a wild pitch, and two more runs scored on an error before a fielder's choice pushed the Crusader lead to 17-5.
- Connors hit an RBI double in the top of the seventh to extend the advantage to 18-5 before he came around to score on a bases-loaded walk from freshman shortstop Zach Wieder. Cooney followed with a single to center to make it a 20-5 game and Baillargeon's bases-loaded walk built a 21-5 advantage.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- Connors – who entered the game off the bench in the third inning – became the first Crusader to hit for the cycle since Patrick Puentes did so in 2013.
- Holy Cross has already hit seven triples this season after hitting six during the entire 2023 campaign.
DUE UP:
- The Crusaders take a trip to New Rochelle, N.Y., to face Iona in a three-game series beginning on Saturday, March 13.
- First pitch of Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for noon.
FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS
Be sure to follow the Holy Cross baseball team — and all things Crusader Athletics — on social media!
Twitter - @HCrossBaseball | @goholycross
Instagram - @hcrossbaseball | @goholycross
Facebook - Holy Cross Baseball | Holy Cross Athletics
YouTube - GoHolyCross
