Massachusetts Pirates Lose Third in a Row, 52-51 to San Antonio

Read Time:6 Minute, 37 Second

The Massachusetts Pirates (6-6) were back at Tsongas Center on Saturday night and played host to the San Antonio Gunslingers (6-5). As of late, the team has been in a bit of a mid-season slump. Injuries, especially at the quarterback position, have led to an offense that has had some problems scoring points. On defense, the Pirates have been very good all season. They entered play on Saturday night as one of the top defensive units in the league allowing fewer than 35 points a game. They lead the league in fewest yards allowed at 173.1 a game.

San Antonio won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Pirates took the ball first in this game. It did not take the Pirates long to score the game’s first touchdown. Jimmy Robinson took the opening kickoff, headed left, and went untouched into the endzone for the game’s first score. The extra point was good and they had a 7-0 lead seconds into the game. The Gunslingers’ offense survived making a fourth down conversion to eventually tie the game at 7-7 on a touchdown pass from QB Sam Castronova to WR Nyqwan Murray who made the catch and then stumbled into the endzone. The Pirates offense was being run by Alejandro Bennifield. The offense was bailed out on a defensive holding call on a fourth down at San Antonio’s 24-yard line. The drive stalled from there and it forced the Pirates to try a 24-yard FG which was good from PK Calum Sutherland. With:54 seconds left in the quarter the Pirates had a 10-7 lead. Things got better for the home team on the ensuing kickoff when the Gunslingers fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Pirates DB Devin Hafford. The quarter ended with the Pirates deep in Gunslinger’s territory.

It would take two plays for the Pirates to score again. Both were running plays for Jimmy Robinson who scored from 6-yards out for his second score of the game. It gave the Pirates a 17-7 lead with 13:47 left in the first half. San Antonio got a pass interference call that set them up at the Massachusetts 14-yard line. A penalty moved the Gunslingers back 5 yards. On a fourth and three from the Pirates 7-yard line, a pass over the middle from Castronova fell incomplete. The Pirates’ defense held and gave the ball back to the offense at their own seven-yard line. The Pirates did nothing with the ball and tried a long field goal. It was short and was returned by Kail Rasaad. The Gunslingers had the ball back and were looking to score. They did just that as Castronova found Kali Rashaad on the left side. He raced into the endzone for a 16-yard catch and run score. The kick was good and with 2:03 left in the half, it was 17-14 Massachusetts.

After the first catch of the season from Hassan Beydoun. Jimmy Robinson took a handoff, went right, and walked into the endzone for his third touchdown of the half, his second rushing touchdown. With a minute left, the Pirates were up 24-14. Two catches by Rashaad, then one by Austin Upshaw set up San Antonio at the Pirates’ one-yard line. From there, Rashaad took a handoff, went around the left end, and scored. The extra point was good and with nine seconds left, the lead was now 24-21 Massachusetts. The Pirates had a shot with the ball at mid-field. With five seconds left in the quarter, the Pirates tried a field goal to increase the lead. The 42-yard kick by Sutherland was wide right and the half ended with the Pirates in the lead.

At the half, the Pirates were averaging 8.1 yards on the ground (73 yards) while San Antonio’s pass game was very effective throwing for 102 yards. The Pirates’ defense came up with a turnover as a completed pass down the right sidelines to Upshaw was fumbled and recovered by Guy Thomas. The Pirates had the ball at their own 8-yard line and turned the turnover into points. Bennifield found Thomas Owens in the right flat and Owens did the rest as he took the pass and ran into the endzone from 17 yards out. The extra point was good and the Pirates were now up 31-21 in the third. On the next drive by the Gunslingers, they converted a fourth and one with a quarterback keeper from Castronova. On the very next play, Castronova found Upshaw over the middle for a 10-yard TD pass. The extra point was good and with 5:46 left in the third Massachusetts had a 31-28 lead.

The Pirates took the kickoff and moved the ball downfield helped out by a defensive holding call. This put the ball deep into Gunslinger’s territory and Robinson scored his third rushing touchdown of the night from a yard out going around the right end to the endzone. For the game, Robinson now had four scores. The Pirates had a ten-point lead at 38-28 with 23 seconds left in the third. The quarter ended with Massachusetts in front.

Early in the fourth, a big pass completion from Castronova to Murray set up San Antonio at the Pirates’ four-yard line. The Pirates’ defense got tough and forced San Antonio on a fourth down to call timeout. The timeout worked as Castronova scrambled and off a deflection found DJ Meyers in the back of the endzone for a touchdown. The extra point was good and with 10:10 left the lead was now 38-35. The Gunslingers added two more points as the kickoff went through the goalposts to make it a 38-37 game with nine minutes left. The Pirates added to their lead with a touchdown pass from Bennifield to Teo Redding who caught the ball on the right sideline, went touched, went from right to left across the field, and scored from 35 yards out. The Pirates were now up 44-37 with seven minutes left. San Antonio came right back with a touchdown pass from Castronova to Murray in the right corner of the endzone. The game was now tied at 44-44 with 4:35 left in the game.

After the kickoff, the Pirates had the ball at midfield. The Pirates quickly scored as Bennifield found Owens down the middle for a 24-yard TD pass. With 2:37 left, the Pirates had the lead back at 51-44. It was time for the defense to make another stand. At the one-minute warning. the Gunslingers had the ball at their own 20-yard line. With 16 seconds left, they scored as Castronova found Upshaw over the middle for a TD pass from 17 yards out. The Gunslingers elected to go for two and the lead. The first attempt was incomplete but a Pirates penalty gave the Gunslingers a second chance They came through as Castronova found Meyers for the two-point conversion and the lead at 52-51 with 15 seconds left. Robinson returned the kickoff to the 14-yard line with 11 seconds left. The Pirates had a timeout left. A pass completion put the ball at their own 21-yard line with five seconds left. Another completion put the ball at mid-field with three seconds left. From there they went for the game-winning field goal. Sutherland tried from 41 yards out and went wide left. The San Antonio Gunslingers left the field with a 52-51 victory over the Massachusetts Pirates.

For the Pirates, this was the fourth game they have lost in the final minutes. Their losing streak is now at three games. Next Saturday they head to Jacksonville for a 7 PM game vs the Sharks.