Conner Reinfurt’s limping stride around the bases was eerily similar to Kirk Gibson’s game-winning home run in the first game of the 1988 World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While a championship may not have been at stake, the timing couldn’t have been better for the Beacons, who are getting hot as they prepare to enter conference play.

Another day produced another hero for the Beacons’ baseball team, as injured pinch-hitter Connor Reinfurt blasted a miraculous ninth-inning grand slam to propel the Beacons to an 8-6 victory over Johnson & Wales University.

Reinfurt hadn’t seen game action since March 20, when the first baseman pulled his hamstring on a stolen base attempt in Arizona.

However, he hammered the first pitch he saw over the left field wall to break a 4-4 tie in the top of the ninth, leading the Beacons to their third third-straight win.

“I wasn’t supposed to be on the roster today, but I felt good warming up,” the junior said. “I made sure that Coach [Brendan Eygabroat] put me on the list for available pinch-hitters.”

Reinfurt’s bomb was just the icing on the comeback cake for the Beacons, who trailed 4-2 in the eighth and 4-3 in the ninth. Just like the day before against Clark University, the Beacons scored the tying run on a wild pitch, as Ryan Walsh dashed home on an errant toss.

After Jake Chastain and Casey Rice reached base, Tim Fontaine felt déjà vu as he was hit with a pitch in late innings for the second consecutive day to give the Beacons a critical base base-runner.

Reinfurt then pinch-hit for Ryan Oshima, who had been inserted in the game as a pinch pinch-runner for designated hitter Eric Salvador. Salvador was 2 for 3 with two runs scored on in the afternoon, but has been slowed by a nagging lower back injury. What Reinfurt was lacking in health, he more than made up for with confidence.

“I was telling everybody that there was going to be some heroics in the pinch-hitter role today,” Reinfurt said. “And as soon as I hit it, I knew it was gone.”

The Wildcats attempted to answer back in the bottom of the ninth, scoring two runs and loading the bases. However, junior Anthony Lauretto came in to close the door, inducing a game-ending ground ground-out to shortstop Anibal Mendez.

Lost in the Herculean home run heroics was the pitching of starter Pat McCarthy and reliever Mike Cain. McCarthy limited the Wildcats to three earned runs over six innings, and the freshman Cain kept the Beacons in the ballgame with two innings in relief, picking up the win.