Beacons baseball got to spend their spring break in Auburndale, Florida for a slew of neutral site games. UMass Boston sought to remain undefeated heading into the season, but eventually fell to their toughest opponent yet, the 17th-ranked Rowan University. Their first stop was Thursday, March 13 to take on Wheaton College, with Ross Dexter starting on the bump.
UMass Boston capitalized on a strong offensive performance, scoring three runs in the first inning and two in the second to take a quick 5-0 lead. The Beacons added to their total in the sixth when a sacrifice fly to center field from Bostyn Burris brought home Mike Meagher to begin a six-run inning. UMass Boston went on to win 11-4, and Dexter picked up his second win of the year. The Beacons remained undefeated.
The next day, Friday, March 14, UMass Boston took on Rowan University, with Max Moss getting the start for UMass Boston. After a slow start, the Beacons found themselves trailing 12-0 headed in the fifth inning. A late surge of five runs in the sixth brought UMass Boston back into the game 16-9. Rowan’s explosive offense ultimately proved to be too much, and the Beacons went down 17-11 for their first loss of the young season.
Despite the loss, UMass Boston showed resilience, battling back and scoring double-digit runs for the sixth time this year. Burris and Mariano Jimenez each went 2-5 from the plate. Jimenez had two RBIs, Burris claimed four RBIs and one run scored, and the duo combined for four of nine total hits by the team.
Next for UMass Boston was Rutgers-Camden Sunday, March 16. They brought out Keenan Metrick, who struggled right out of the gate. Rutgers-Camden struck early with a four-run first inning and held off the Beacons’ late rally in the seventh and ninth. UMass Boston lost 4-2, scoring just two runs despite seven hits and couldn’t capitalize on their scoring opportunities with runners on base.
Despite the loss, the Beacons’ pitching staff had a strong performance, shutting Rutgers-Camden down from the second inning onward. but they just couldn’t get the bats rolling, dropping to 7-2 on the year. Brandon Gaer, Mike Meagher and Jacob Levine each had two hits. Meagher was one of two runners to score and added a double — his seventh double of his career.
Monday, March 17 the Beacons took on Salem State, looking to bounce back. Johnny Pagano got the start for UMass Boston. After a quiet first inning, the Beacons took advantage of multiple opportunities, including a six-run fourth inning, and exploded for 17 runs total. The win improved UMass Boston’s record to 8-2 as they look to maintain their momentum moving forward.
10 Beacons recorded a hit, going 17-43 at the dish as a team with 16 RBIs. Richard Williams led the way with five hits, followed by Ryan Slack who went 3-6 and Reed Burkett-Schneider who went 2-4 with two RBIs. The Beacons start their road trip 2-2 with two games remaining.
