STANDISH, Maine – Freshman righty Josh Gerson (Melville, N.Y.) pitched six scoreless innings, and the Beacons combined for 17 hits as baseball pounded 24th ranked St. Joseph's College of Maine by the final of 14-1 Thursday afternoon at Mahaney Diamond.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 14, St. Joseph's College (ME) 1
UMass Boston (19-9)
St. Joseph's College (23-5)
HOW IT HAPPENED
For the second straight game, the Beacons received an unbelievable pitching performance by a freshman arm. Gerson, who was making just his seventh appearance of the season, scattered just two hits, and had five strikeouts to improve to 2-0 on the year. Joe Maguire (Peabody, Mass.) and Bobby Tramondozzi (Peabody, Mass.) completed the win for the Beacons, as Maguire allowed just the one run on three hits over two innings. Tramondozzi struck out one and walked another in the ninth to secure the victory.
At the plate, the Beacons gave their pitcher plenty of run support as they tacked six runs through the first two innings. They then put-up a run in the fourth and three more in the fifth to take a commanding 10-0 lead. With another run in the eighth and three more in the ninth the rout was on as UMB ended the Monks five-game win-streak.
Dan Mantoni (Northbridge, Mass.) had a huge day at the plate for the Beacons as he crushed a two-run shot in the first inning, and ended the afternoon 2-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored. Chris Fowler (Barnstable, Mass.) pushed his hit-streak to 20 straight games as the junior infielder went 3-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored. Kyle Boudrias (Medford, Mass.) also pounded out three hits, as he finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored.
Josh Lopez (New Haven, Conn.) came-off the bench and registered a pair of hits and had three runs scored and an RBI in five trips to the plate.
Luke Klenda was handed his first loss of the year, after being chased out of the game after just two innings of work. In his short appearance, Klenda allowed six runs, five earned, on five hits, and had two walks and two K's.
After Mantoni got the Beacons offense firing in the first, Lopez quickly made it a 3-0 ballgame on an RBI single which plated Anthony Searles (Shelton, Conn.). With a single by Boudrias and Fowler the Beacons quickly jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Boudrias would then come home for the final run of the second, just as Fowler was caught stealing at second base.
In the fourth, Boudrias made it a 7-0 game with an RBI double down the left field line, which scored Charlie Huegi (Sandy Hook, Conn.). Huegi would then knock-in a pair of runs in the fifth, and would eventually come home on a wild pitch to extend UMB's lead to 10.
An error by the Monks in the top of the eighth would allow Fowler to reach home for the final time in Wednesday's contest. The Monks lone run of the day came in the bottom half of the eighth, but was quickly countered by the three-run ninth for the Beacons. Mantoni capped-off his huge day with an RBI single, while Ryan McCormick (Cumberland, R.I.) drove in a pair of runs on a double to left field.
BY THE NUMBERS
- With Wednesday's win UMB has now won nine of their last 11 games
- The Beacons have now won five straight over the Monks and are now 6-4 all-time
- UMass Boston has now recorded 11 or more runs in three of their last four meetings with St. Joseph's College
- The 14 runs scored is the most ever by the Beacons, while the one run allowed is the fewest scored by the Monks
WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will travel to Keene State College on Saturday for a 12 p.m. Little East Conference doubleheader.