BOSTON, Mass. – After pulling out a 2-1 win in game one over Keene State College, baseball had to go into extras, and with an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th byLionel Danielson (St. Croix, Virgin Islands) the Beacons completed their first conference sweep of the year as they defeated the Owls by the final of 6-5 Saturday evening at Monan Park.
THE BASICS
GM 1 – UMass Boston 2, Keene State College 1
GM 2 – UMass Boston 6, Keene State College 5 (11 inns.)
UMass Boston (19-12, 5-4 Little East Conference)
Keene State College (12-17, 3-6 Little East Conference)
HOW IT HAPPENED
With a go-head run in the fifth inning junior Dan Mantoni (Northbridge, Mass.), with a little help from Manny Garcia (Boston, Mass.) was able to secure his second win of the year in the opener. Mantoni went 6.1 innings and allowed just one run on one hit, while Garcia, who picked-up his fifth win of the year, shut down the Owls in the ninth as he allowed just one hit to give the Beacons their fifth straight win.
In the nightcap, the Owls held a two-run lead going into the bottom half of the ninth, but that lead was erased by an RBI double by Ryan Olivo (Rochester, N.Y.) and a game-tying wild pitch which scored Eddie Riley (Quincy, Mass.). With runners on every base and two outs on the scoreboard, Danielson stepped to the plate. With a 1-1 count, Danielson hit a pop-up to shallow center field. Thinking that the ball was going to be caught the Beacons began to move around the bases.
However the Keene State centerfielder lost his footing as he came in on the ball, which allowed it to drop right in front of home. With the ball landing safely on the turf, Anthony Searles (Shelton, Conn.) was able to touch home plate to give the Beacons the huge come-from-behind conference win and the sweep, their first of the year.
GAME 1
UMass Boston combined for nine hits in the game one victory, with Danielson finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI and a double. Dave Murphy (Plymouth, Mass.) and Olivo each collected doubles in the close victory.
The Beacons got on the board in the bottom of the first inning, as they took advantage of Keene State error. Murphy would reach on the play, with Olivo quickly driving him in on his double to deep left center. With the slim lead, Mantoni completely took over, as he went pitch-for-pitch with the Owls top starter in Cody Dube.
The Beacons would then make it a two-run game in the fifth when Danielson ripped an RBI double down the left field line, which plated Sal Frosceno (Derby, Conn.), who reach on an infield single. The Owls would register their only run of game one in the top half of the seventh on a single down the left field line.
Bobby Tramondozzi (Peabody, Mass.) would take over for Mantoni with one out on the scoreboard in the seventh, and prevented the game-tying run from reaching home as he picked-up a strikeout and a fly out to end the inning. The Beacons would threaten in the eighth, but were unable to get anyone home keeping it a one-run game, for Garcia. The freshman lefty cruised in his lone inning of work to secure the victory for the Beacons.
GAME 2
The nightcap looked as if though the Beacons were going to roll to their first conference sweep of 2016. Mantoni got UMB on the board in big way as he crushed a two-run bomb over the "Monster" to make it 2-9 after three. However, the Owls would respond with a solo shot in the top of the fourth, and two more runs in the fifth to take their first lead of the afternoon (3-2). They would keep that lead until the bottom of the eighth, when Murphy smoked a double down the left field line, which plated Josh Lopez (New Haven, Conn.), after he reached on a walk to lead off the inning.
JT Morin (Wilton, Conn.) got the start in the nightcap and last seven complete innings allowing all three Keene runs on six hits, but did manage to pick-up seven strikeouts. After the lefty called it a day, the Beacons turned to their other freshman standout in Fernando Burgos (Hyde Park, Mass.). Burgos lasted just one inning, before Garcia returned for two innings of work. The duo allowed just one hit during their three combined innings.
From there Bryan Kaufman (Farmingdale, N.Y.) took over, and struggled early on as he allowed what were the go-ahead runs on three hits in the top of the 11th. The righty did get out of the inning and collected the victory, his third (3-3).
The Beacons finished with nine hits in the huge walk-off victory, with Olivo going 3-for-5 with an RBI. Danielson's lone hit in game two proved to be the deciding one as he went 1-for-4 with the game-winning RBI and a run scored.
Eddie Dione was handed the loss after going three innings. During his outing he struck out seven batters and walked just one and allowed the three runs on four hits.
BY THE NUMBERS
- With Saturday's sweep, the Beacons have now won nine of their last 10
- Their six game win-streak marks the longest of 2016 for the Beacons
- The sweep is the second straight for the Beacons over the Owls
- UMass has now won six of the last seven games against the Owls
- Since 2012 the Beacons and Owls have played four extra-inning games and are 2-2 during that stretch
WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will travel to Southern Maine on Tuesday for a 3:30 p.m. conference game.