AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Spalding Golden Eagles hung on to win a back and forth game against #1 ranked Mass-Boston, 11-9, Thursday afternoon at the RussMatt Invitational in Auburndale, Fla.

THE BASICS

SCORE: Spalding 11 – Mass-Boston 9

LOCATION: Lake Myrtle Main Field, Auburndale, Fla.

RECORDS: Spalding 12-3, UMass Boston 8-2

HIGHLIGHTS

• Trailing 3-0, Spalding responded with a four-run third inning to pull ahead, 4-3. Kyle Steven led off the inning with a double down the right field line and scored on an Eric Meyer single through the left side to get the Golden Eagles on the scoreboard. Garett Wilson followed with a single and Dillion Sievert was hit by a pitch to juice the bases. Clay Kelly singled scoring Meyer from third keeping the bases loaded, Joe Hatcher reached on a fielder's choice scoring Wilson and Sievert came home on a Quenton Brownlee fielder's choice for the final run of the inning.
• After a pair of Beacon runs in the bottom of the third, SU answered with a pair in the top of the fifth to retake the lead. Kelly reached with a leadoff single to right and advance to second following a Hatcher strikeout swinging, and crossed the plate on a Brownlee double down the left field line. Matt Harper followed Brownlee with a double to left center to put the Golden Eagles back in front, 6-5.
• A Hatcher single through the left side brought Wilson across the plate for a second time put SU ahead, 7-5, heading into the bottom of the sixth.
• Mass-Boston matched it with a run in the bottom of the sixth, but Spalding scored four more runs in the top of the seventh to take an 11-6 lead. Evan Trentman tripled to left center scoring Harper for the first run of the inning, and Sievert capped off the inning with a three-run home run scoring Trentman and Meyer.
• After two runs scored in the bottom of the ninth, relief pitcher Lane Staples entered with bases loaded and two outs. The right-hander struck out UMB's Sal Frosceno for the final out the game ending the Beacons rally attempt.

STAT LEADERS

• Dillon Sievert led SU with a team-high three runs batted in going 2-for-4 at the plate, including the game deciding three-run home run.
• Eric Meyer went 3-for-4 with one RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base.
• Clay Kelly, Evan Trentman and Garrett Wilson each finished with a pair of hits.
• Jimi Keating (4-0) escaped with his fourth victory of the season allowing seven runs, on 13 hits, while striking out eight batters in 6.1 innings pitched.
• Lane Staples earned the save striking out the only batter he faced to end the game.

FOR THE FOES

• Ryan McCormick was red hot at the plate going 4-for-5 with five RBI.
• Joey Rogers (2-1) suffered the loss allowing six runs, five earned, on nine hits, while striking out four batters in 4.1 innings pitched.

UP NEXT                        

• The Golden Eagles head to Crestview Hills, Ky. Wednesday, March 21 to take on Thomas More at 6:00 pm EST.