FORT MYERS, Fla. – Trailing by five with only three outs remaining on the scoreboard the Beacons chipped away at the huge deficit and with a two-run double by Anthony Gomes-Sirianni (San Francisco, Calif.) the Beacons earned a 8-7 walk-off victory over Bethel University (Minn.) Thursday afternoon at Terry Park.
Gomes-Sirianni drove in the game tying and winning runs on a first pitch line drive down the left field line with two outs and bases loaded. Bryan Dupre (Chicopee, Mass.) reached home plate first to represent the tying run, while Jamill Moquete (Boston, Mass.) made his way from second base and just as he reached home plate the Beacons bench cleared and rushed Gomes-Sirianni just as he reached second base safely.
Down 7-2 going into the bottom half of the ninth inning, Alex Webb (Gloucester, Mass.) earned an RBI bases loaded walk which plated Gomes-Sirianni to make it a four-run ball game. The Beacons picked-up their fourth run of the afternoon despite grounding into a double play to make it 7-4 with two outs.
From there Daniel Mantoni (Northbridge, Mass.) earned a huge walk to put runners on first and third. Moquete would then drive Anthony Searles (Shelton, Conn.) on an RBI infield single. Still needing two more runs to tie the game at 7-7 and force extra innings, Todd Ezold (Westfield, Mass.) put together one of his best at-bats of the 2014 season to earn a huge walk to load the bases.
That walk would force Bethel to go to their bullpen knowing they needed just one out to earn the victory. However the Beacons were not done with all the momentum in their corner. Charles LaPaglia (Marshfield, Mass.) would battle back-and-forth with the new pitcher to draw the second bases loaded walk of the inning making 7-6.
The ninth inning dramatics came to an end when Gomes-Sirianni turned on the first pitch and crushed it down the left field line scoring both Bryan Dupre (Chicopee, Mass.), who pinch ran for Ezold, and Moquete.
Gomes-Sirianni game-winning double represented the junior's second extra base hit of the day as he went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Mantoni carried the Beacons offense early and finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Moquete also had a hot bat as he finished off the win, 2-for-2 with an RBI, run scored, and three walks.
On the hill, Thursday's win went to reliever Steve Roche (Worcester, Mass.) who got the final two outs of the ninth inning, in which he allowed just two hits. Kyle Szatrowski (Agawam, Mass.) started off the day and went six complete and allowed three runs on four hits. The lefty allowed three walks and struck out three in his second start of the year. Will Barrack (Lancaster, Va.) and Matt Dziok (Southampton, Mass.) combined for 2.1 innings respectively and allowed four runs on five hits.
In the early innings UMass Boston struck first in the bottom of the fourth on a sac-fly by LaPaglia to put the Beacons up 1-0. Bethel would then score six straight runs, three in the fifth and three in the eighth to take a 6-1 lead.
UMass got their second run of the afternoon in the bottom of the eighth on a throwing error by the catcher which scored Mantoni. The final Bethel run came in the top of the ninth on an RBI single through the left side. This would ultimately set-up what would be the Beacons biggest comeback of the early season.
For Bethel, Keaton Schut was charged with the loss after allowing the second walk of the inning, which led to the Beacons game-winning double. He managed to earn the two outs in the bottom of the ninth but could not close out the contest. All six runs, which were earned, were charged to Schut who allowed just three hits, while also walking three.
Baseball will close out their 2014 spring trip tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. when they take on the University of Dubuque (Iowa) at Terry Park field number four.