UMass Boston Baseball spent their Spring Break up in the Northwest as they traveled to Oregon for an 11-game road trip. According to Beacons Athletics, they took on Lewis & Clark College and Linfield University in two multi-game series, as well as two games against Pacific University and George Fox University [1].
The trip started against Lewis & Clark and the Pioneers, where they played three games, including a doubleheader. According to Beacons Athletics, the first game was tied 2–2 after two innings, kudos to an Aidan Blake sacrifice fly and a Mariano Jimenez home run. The Pioneers didn’t stop there, though as they took a one-run lead in the third and added five more in the fourth [2].
However, the Beacons responded by doing exactly the same: one in the fifth and five in the sixth to tie the ball game at eight apiece. The game would go into a singular extra inning where, unfortunately, a third-base error cost the Beacons the game, 9–8. They would return the favor in the second half of the doubleheader though, putting up five runs in the eighth inning and winning 8–4 [2].
Their final game against the Pioneers was an absolute wash. According to Beacons Athletics, the Beacons led 4–1 going into the ninth inning, only to add an additional six runs to their total. UMass Boston’s pitching rotation, headlined by the game’s starter Max Moss, gave up only one run and four hits, a very impressive showing from them [3].
Next up was Linfield and the Wildcats. This was a standalone match against the Wildcats, but later in the week, they faced them in a three-game series. The Beacons gave them quite the preview as they came in and stomped them 7–2, per Beacons Athletics. Seven different Beacons got themselves a hit in this game, including another home run from Jimenez [4].
This would be the Beacons’ third straight win, but they received a bit of a humbling in their next two outings. Pacific and the Boxers were next in line, and they did not hold back. Beacons Athletics reported that The Boxers made easy work of the Beacons, winning 15–4 [5].
George Fox and the Bruins weren’t so friendly either, as they cooked up a similar result, dishing the Beacons a 13–6 loss. This one was close for a while, but the seventh and eighth innings saw the Bruins rack up a combined ten runs, which put the game out of reach for the Beacons, the report courtesy of Beacons Athletics [6].
It was now time for the Beacons’ last stop, where they’d travel back to McMinnville for their last three games against the Wildcats. The Beacons kicked things off with a fiery performance in game one. According to Beacons Athletics, a five-run first inning alongside a masterclass pitching outing from Dillon Ryan allowed the Beacons to break their slump and secure a 10–3 victory. Ryan strung together ten strikeouts in seven innings, keeping the Wildcat offense in check [7].
However, that was the last win the Beacons saw during this road trip, as the Wildcats finally came alive for the second and third games. This was a destructive doubleheader for the Beacons, losing the first game 12–2. Per Beacons Athletics, the Wildcats rallied up six runs in the eighth, distancing the gap beyond recovery [8].
Game two of the doubleheader was even more crushing, as the game was tied at four runs each going into the eighth. But just like the previous game, it was a five-run eighth inning that secured the Wildcats a 9–5 win over the Beacons, according to Beacons Athletics [9].
Overall, the road trip had its good and its bad. Closing out games late was a bit of a struggle during the road trip, so that may be an area of focus in the near future. Although, there was plenty to show that they are capable of playing at a high level, and there’s no reason for baseball to doubt their capabilities going forward.
Sources:
- https://beaconsathletics.com/sports/baseball/schedule
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2024/3/9/baseball-secures-one-of-first-two-of-2024-spring-break-trip-from-portland-oregon.aspx
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2024/3/10/softball-beacons-shine-bright-against-lewis-clark.aspx
- https://beaconsathletics.com/sports/baseball/stats/2024/linfield-university/boxscore/11676
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2024/3/13/pacific-university-downs-baseball-15-4.aspx
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2024/3/13/baseball-battles-against-george-fox-bruins-come-away-victorious.aspx
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2024/3/14/baseball-ryans-10-ks-powers-beacons-to-victory-over-linfield.aspx
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2024/3/15/baseball-linfield-powers-passed-beacons-in-game-two.aspx
- https://beaconsathletics.com/news/2024/3/16/baseball-moss-pitching-heroics-outshined-by-late-linfield-firepower.aspx