Courtesy of UMass Boston Athletics Department

Junior catcher Troy Larocque (Hudson, NH) drew a bases-loaded walk with no outs to force in the winning run and cap a three-run ninth as the University of Massachusetts Boston baseball team edged Framingham State College today, 5-4. The game was played in Milton, MA at the home field of Curry College. The Beacons improve to 13-9 on the season, while the Rams fall to 7-10.

UMass Boston junior first baseman Chris King (Andover, MA) worked a lead-off walk in the bottom of the ninth inning and pinch-hitter Jeran Mondalto (Amesbury, MA) followed with a single. Junior Darwin Gonzalez (Lawrence, MA), who was pinch-running for King moved up to third base with Mondalto taking second as senior second baseman Jon Tekela (Thornhill, ONT) took first base, via a bases on balls to load the bases. Senior right fielder Eddie Stish (West Hazleton, PA) followed with a two-run single to score Gonzalez and Mondalto and tie the contest at 4-4. With Tekela on second and Stish on first, senior center fielder Mike McGonagle (Boston, MA) singled to re-load the bases and set up Larocque’s game-winning walk.

The Beacons got on the board first when McGonagle drew a one-out walk, stole second and was plated by Larocque with a single to make it 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Framingham State answered in the top of the sixth inning when Matt Driscoll and Phil McGeown both walked and moved up to third and second base, respectively, on a wild pitch, before Salvador Mendonca brought home Driscoll with a single to knot the game at 1-1. James Wadsworth then reached on a fielder’s choice with McGeown scoring the go-ahead run to give the Rams a 2-1 edge. UMass Boston got a run back in the bottom of the sixth when freshman designated hitter Pat Donovan (Lowell, MA) drew a two-out walk, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a ball that was mishandled by the Framingham State center fielder on a fly ball hit by freshman left fielder David Waters (Millis, MA) to tie the game at 2-2.

The Rams snapped the deadlock in the top of the eighth inning when Wadsworth tripled to drive in Driscoll (led off with walk) and Matt Thistle (reached on an error) to give them a 4-2 advantage.

Donovan picked up the win in relief for the Beacons, going an inning and two-thirds, while allowing no runs on one hit and one walk to go with three strikeouts. UMB starting pitcher Chuck Ritterson (Sewell, NJ) was working on a no-hitter until Mendoca singled with one down in the sixth inning, but it would be the only hit allowed by the left-hander in seven and a third innings of work. Ritterson allowed four runs (two earned) on just one hit and three walks, while fanning a season-high eight batters.

Wadsworth took the loss for Framingham State, going the distance and allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits and nine walks, while striking out two in eight innings of work.

Donovan and Waters each went 2-3 on the day for the Beacons, while King was 2-4 and Larocque and Stish each knocked in a pair of runs. Wadsworth led the Rams with three RBI and a triple.