Junior Andrea Spinale pitched seven solid innings and Johanna Grullon came up with a clutch two out hit in the bottom of the fifth inning to help UMB take a 4-3 victory over Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Mass. Maritime took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With two outs and a runner on third base, outfielder Gina Torres mishandled a fly ball that let the first run score. A wild pitch and single later, and Mass. Maritime had their 2-0 lead.

The Beacons cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs, Grullon lashed a single to right field for UMB’s first hit of the game. Sophomore Kiely Coffey then walked. Second baseman Nicole Alfano then hit a slow roller toward second. The first baseman dropped the throw from the second baseman and Grullon scored from second.

Mass. Maritime threatened to score in the top of the third when it placed two base runners on first and second with two outs. Spinale pitched a full count with the batter and then recorded a strikeout with a low heater to end the inning. Shortstop Kristen Bowes helped end another threat in the top of the fourth inning when she gobbled up a grounded to her right and threw a bullet to first to beat the runner by half a step.

The Beacons struck gold in the fifth. With two outs and no one on, Kristen Smoyer blooped a double down the left field line. Catcher Chris Allen singled to advance Smoyer to third. Spinale then hit a grounder to the shortstop, who scooped the ball and threw a dart to first. However, the first baseman let the ball skip by her, allowing Smoyer to score and placing runners on second and third. With the score tied at two, Grullon came up and hit a laser to centerfield, scoring both Allen and Spinale.

In the top of the sixth, Mass. Maritime scored a run to cut the margin to one. With the wind increasing steadily, the top of the seventh was an adventure for the Beacon fielders. Torres had to make a running catch near the left field foul line and Bowes had to make two difficult catches on pop ups due to the swirling wind to seal the victory.