UMass Boston baseball finished off their spring break slate with games against the University of Scranton, March 19, and John Hopkins, March 20 to wrap up their road trip. They also kicked off their LEC schedule with a two-game slate against Vermont State Castleton and a game against Tufts University.
Scranton took an early lead in the first game, scoring in each of the first four innings. Despite a two-run rally in the fourth from the Beacons and a late run in the seventh, UMass Boston was unable to overcome the Scranton offense and fell 8-3. UMass Boston’s Connor Curtis took the tough loss on the mound.
The next day, in their spring break finale, UMass Boston took on the now fourth-ranked John Hopkins University Blue Jays. Senior pitcher Ross Dexter led the Beacons with five solid innings, striking out a team-high three batters. UMass Boston had a promising start, holding a 4-1 lead after four innings. However, a five-run rally by the Blue Jays in the fifth and sixth innings flipped the game in their favor. Unfortunately, UMass Boston couldn’t regain their lead and ultimately fell 5-4 in the final stretch against one of the nation’s top teams.
The Beacons finished 2-4 during their spring break slate and returned home to start their LEC schedule. March 22, UMass Boston returned to Beaconville for a doubleheader against Vermont State Castleton. In game one, UMass Boston wasted no time establishing control, jumping out to a 2-0 lead by the fourth inning. The pitching staff, led by starter Max Moss, held the Spartans in check, allowing a solid three earned runs. The Beacons went on to win 4-3 by a 10th-inning walk-off single by rookie Nicolas Piscionierein in extras for their first LEC win.
The second game was an offensive affair. The Beacons blew Vermont State Castleton right out of the harbor, springing to a 5-0 lead in the first. Grad student Jacob Levine struck in the second inning with a grand slam, starting a six-run rally, and the Beacons led 11-2 heading into the third inning. In the sixth, UMass Boston added six more runs.
Jacob Levine led off with a solo homer to center field. A failed pickoff move allowed Bostyn Burris to score, and Mike Meagher capped the inning with a two-run homer, making it 17-6. Additional RBIs from Burris and Richard Williams set up a three-run double by Elliot Miles. UMass Boston sealed the mercy rule victory with a 23-8 win after seven innings. A key performance came from grad student third baseman Bostyn Burris, who went a perfect 4-4 from the plate and hit two doubles with four RBIs.
Next for the Beacons on March 25, UMass Boston took on Tufts University on the road. They led early with a 1-0 advantage after the first, but Tufts responded with a three-run fifth inning to take control, 3-1. UMass Boston struck back with a late rally of their own, with runs in the sixth and seventh, but they couldn’t catch up. The Beacons fell 5-4 in a tough battle and stood at 10-5 on the season.
