Coming off of one of the best seasons in program history, the University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons baseball team kicked off their season with a 20-1 rout over the Lasell College Lasers. Last season, the Beacons made it all the way to the College World Series where they lost in crushing fashion to North Central College. The game determined who would go on to the semifinals, which made the loss even harder when North Central won with a walk off. This year, UMass Boston is ranked third in the country, which, of course, comes with some high expectations.
After being sidelined for the 2017 season due to an injury, senior second baseman Dave Murphy showed his eagerness to get back on the field with a two-run inside-the-park home run in the first inning. It scored Kyle Boudrias, a junior who doubled, to right field. The fast start didn’t stop there as Chris Fowler, senior; Ryan McCormick, sophomore; and Anthony Cecere, another sophomore; all got on base and scored three runs, giving the Beacons a 5-0 lead through one inning of play.
After back-to-back singles from Boudrias and Murphy, things got going in the home half of the second. Left-handed batter Fowler swung at an outside pitch and slapped it out to left field to widen the score gap to 6-0. A sacrificial pop fly thanks to junior Nick Herzog scored another run, followed by a wild pitch, bringing home Fowler.
Left-handed pitcher Joey Rogers, sophomore, got the start for the Beacons and looked as comfortable as ever, right from the get-go. He gave up one run over five innings, while striking out three batters and giving up five hits to go with two walks. Ben Gottesman, sophomore, entered the game to pitch in the sixth after Rogers’ day was over. He threw two strikeouts over two innings of work, while only giving up one hit and one walk.
Wanderson Pinales, sophomore, had an inside-the-park home run of his own in the eighth inning, pushing the Beacons to score four additional runs to bring their grand total up to 20. Joe Maguire, junior, pitched a perfect 1-2-3 eighth inning, the first one of the day for the Beacons. Somehow, closer and junior Bobby Tramondozzi was able to top it in the ninth by striking out the side, finishing off UMass Boston’s 20-1 victory over Lasell College.
After the game, The Mass Media asked Head Coach Brendan Eygabroat a few questions regarding the game. When asked what he thought of all the runs scored, especially since it was opening day and considering some rust when players may not have had actual game action since last season, Coach Eygabroat answered, “It was nice to see the guys hit the baseball like that. Things got a little shaky there in the middle innings, but it definitely was nice to see them hit well to start off the season.”
When asked about Joey Roger’s day and how confident he looked on the mound, Coach Eygabroat answered, “Joey had a good day and had his pitches working for him. It wasn’t his best day, but it was nice to see him go five innings and throw the ball well.”
The always humble coach of the men’s baseball team was certainly pleased with the victory, but knows that the season is just getting started. If the Beacons’ level of play can be sustained throughout the season, it will be an exciting year for UMass Boston baseball. Let’s see if they can build off this great start to the season.