PROVIDENCE, R.I. – With back-to-back dominating pitching performances from Kyle Szatrowski (Agawam, Mass.), Patrick Austin (Torrington, Conn.), Tyler Kane (Wilbraham, Mass.), and Lucas Ilges (Gloucester, Mass.) baseball remain undefeated in Little East Conference play as they swept the Anchormen of Rhode Island College by the finals of 6-2 and 8-2 Saturday afternoon at Anchormen Field.
The pair of wins, not only keeps the Beacons atop the conference standings, but evens the Beacons record at 2-2 for the week after dropping two tough non-conference games. UMass now holds an overall record of 8-8, 4-0 in the conference. The Anchormen fell to 6-17, 1-3 in the Little East following Saturday's sweep.
On the day, the four Beacons pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts and allowed just six hits in the combined 18 innings of work respectively. Szatrowski continued his standout sophomore season with a 6.2 innings victory to improve to 4-0 on the year. The lefty allowed just two runs, both earned, on seven hits and struck out six in the opener. Kane notched his second save after going 2.1 and did not allow a hit or run.
In the nightcap, Austin earned his win of the year after going 5.1 allowing just two runs on eight hits. The junior lefty fanned three batters and walked two others. Perhaps the standout performance of the day belonged to Ilges as he did not allow a hit, while striking out six Anchormen over the final 3.2 innings to earn his first save of the year.
GAME ONE
The first game of the afternoon saw the Beacons record a combined 15 hits to earn their 6-2 victory. UMB wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top half of the second. That lone run, which was recorded on an RBI single by Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.) would be the only run scored in the first five innings.
UMB's offense would then erupt in the top of the sixth as they put-up a three-spot to make it a four run ball game. A lead-off single from Jose Pena (Boston, Mass.), followed by a double from Jamill Moquette (Boston, Mass.) would put runners in scoring position with no outs on the board. Senior Matt Consiglio (Southbury, Conn.) then drove in the first of the frame on a sacrifice fly to deep center field. RIC would then get their second out of the inning on the very next batter, but with an RBI single by Charles LaPaglia (Marshfield, Mass.) which plated Moquette, and a RBI single from Gerard Florentino (West Roxbury, Mass.), which scored LaPaglia the Beacons quickly found themselves in control of the huge conference match-up.
UMass put-up their fifth run of the afternoon in the seventh on a Pena RBI double to right center. Rhode Island would manage just a pair of runs in the bottom half of the seventh to close the Beacons lead back to three. However a key run in the top half of the ninth off of a RBI single by Moquette sealed the Beacons victory.
Of the six runs scored in the game one victory, two belonged to shortstop Tyler Kirwan (Syracuse, N.Y.) as the freshman infielder reached base in three of his four at-bats. Along with Kirwan, five other Beacons hitters recorded multiple hits, with Pena finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
GAME TWO
In the nightcap, the Beacons tacked on a combined 12 hits to seal the conference sweep. Along with their solid offensive display, UMB's defense played perhaps their best two games of the year, as they gave-up just three errors in the two wins.
The first three innings of the second game would see both teams threaten, but neither could reach home plate. It was not until the top half of the fourth that UMB was able to take their second one-run lead of the day. Florentino would drive in the go-ahead run in the inning on a sacrifice fly to right field, which plated Moquette.
After Austin kept the Anchormen's bats silent in the bottom half of the fourth, the Beacons offense pushed their lead to 4-0 scoring a three runs in the top of the fifth. RIC would get two in the bottom half of the inning, but just like the opener the Anchormen's offense silenced for the remainder of the contest.
UMB added another run in the sixth and three more in the seventh to blow the game wide open, and with Ilges pitching an absolute gem, the Beacons knew they would leave Rhode Island as the hot team in the LEC.
In total three Beacons hitters recorded two hits in the game two victory. Consiglio went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Moquette counted for three of the Beacons eight runs, as the junior All-Region honoree went 2-for-4 at the plate. Jason Cholish (Exton, Pa.), who pinch hit and entered at first base for White also had a big day as she went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Baseball returns to action tomorrow when they face St. Joseph's College (Maine) at 1 p.m. at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton.