BROCKTON, Mass. – Trailing by one with a runner on first base and with a full count and two outs on the scoreboard, junior transfer Daniel Bonito (Swampscott, Mass.) crushed perhaps the biggest home run of the year as he gave baseball an 8-7 walk off win over regionally-ranked Endicott College Monday evening at Campanelli Stadium.
Trailing by one heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Gulls got the lead-off batter to groundout to the shortstop. Anthony Searles (Shelton, Conn.) who was red-hot all night, ripped a single to center field to put the tying run on first base.
Endicott would get their second out of the inning, on a fielder's choice, as they got the lead runner at second. With a runner still on first base, Bonito would step to the plate. Also red-hot at the dish in the past couple of games, the first baseman would battle Endicott closer Eric Nagle. Bonito would foul off the first two pitches, before taking back-to-back balls to make it a 2-2 count.
He would then foul off the next pitch, before Nagle made it a full count. He would then foul off another fast ball to set-up perhaps the biggest at-bat of the year since the Beacons defeated top-ranked SUNY Cortland in Florida.
Nagle, would then throw a hanging curve ball, which Bonito turned on and crushing the ball to the deepest part of Campanelli Stadium. As the ball continued to travel the Beacons and their fans began to get louder and louder. The ball would come down just over the right center wall, sending the Beacons into a frenzy as they rushed home plate to greet Bonito in a walk-off celebration.
The Beacons had trailed all night prior to the late inning rally, but nearly tied the game in multiple innings, but fell just short. Monday's win marked the first-ever for the Beacons over Endicott College in what was ninth meeting between the two regional rivals. UMass Boston improved to 18-13 with the win. Endicott dropped to 22-15 overall, as they get set to start their conference tournament on Thursday. The Gulls entered Monday's contest ranked sixth in New England on the most recent NEIBA Coaches Poll.
Senior righty Josh Cummiskey (Lowell, Mass.), who entered the game with two outs in the top of the eighth, picked-up the victory, his third of the year (3-0). Nagle's blown save, marked the first loss of the year for the righty. Cummiskey allowed just two hits in his appearance, while Nagle surrendered two runs on six hits
Bonito would cap-off the huge day as he went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Searles finished 4-for-5 with two RBI to lead the Beacons 14 hit night.
The Gulls nearly blew the game wide open in the fourth inning when Harry Oringer hit a grand slam to make it a 6-1 ball game. However the Beacons pitching staff settled down and did not allow a run until the top of the seventh.
This allowed the Beacons a chance to chip away at the lead, as they tacked on three runs, two earned, in the bottom of the fifth. They would then put-up another in the sixth to make it 6-5 at the time. Endicott extended their lead back two-runs in the top of the seventh, but the Beacons would respond in the bottom half of the inning as Searles kept it one-run affair on an RBI single up the middle.
After a scoreless eighth, the Beacons made a huge defensive play as they turned an 7-4 double play to get out of the inning, and to keep the score at 7-6, Endicott. This would then set-up the huge half inning, as the Beacons continue their hot-streak, winning three of their last four games.
Baseball returns to action when they host St. Joseph's College (Maine) on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Campanelli Stadium.