BEVERLY, Mass. – A Chris Fowler (Barnstable, Mass.) game-winning run in the top of the 10^th inning earned the fourth/fifth ranked Beacons a crucial in-region 4-3 win over Endicott College Monday evening.

THE BASICS

#4/5 UMass Boston 4, Endicott College 3 (10 inns.)

UMass Boston (28-7)
Endicott College (24-13)

HOW IT HAPPENED

After the Gulls tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Fowler stepped to the dish in the top of the 10^th and ripped a triple before coming around to score to give UMB the slim one-run lead and eventual victory.

Bobby Tramondozzi (Peabody, Mass.), who could not put the Gulls away in the ninth bounced back in the 10^th and retired the side in order.  The closer collected four strikeouts as he earned his fourth win of the year (4-0). 

Prior to the ninth inning let down, the Beacons led the non-conference contest since the top of the fifth inning when they drove in three of their four runs.  At the time, the Gulls held a slim 2-0 lead thanks to runs in the first and fourth innings. 

Kyle Boudrias (Medford, Mass.) started the scoring off in the fifth with an RBI double to center field, which plated Charlie Huegi (Sandy Hook, Conn.).  From there the Ryan McCormick (Cumberland, R.I.) drove in a pair of runs on a single to left field, with Boudrias and Dave Murphy (Plymouth, Mass.) each scoring to give UMB the 3-2 lead.

Hoping to close out the contest with the slim lead intact the Beacons turned the ball over to one of the top closers in Division III baseball today in Tramondozzi.  The righty retired the first two batters he faced with a groundout and strikeout.

However, the Gulls got a huge surge thanks to a Dan Cacciola double to right field.  Cacciola would then move over to third on a wild pitch.  Brad Rebello then drove in the game-tying run on a single to the second baseman.  The troubles would continue for Tramondozzi as another wild pitch moved Rebello to second.  The Beacons would keep the Gulls off the scoreboard to force the extra inning with the score deadlocked at 3-3.

In the top half of the 10^th the Beacons looked to quickly retake the lead.  The Beacons got the crucial go-ahead run off the bat of Fowler as he crushed a triple to left center.  The Barnstable native came around to score on the same play to make it a one-run game again.

With back-to-back walks the Beacons quickly had runners on first and second with just one out.  Endicott did manage to limit the damage to just the one run as they retired the next two batters in order to set-up a dramatic bottom half of the inning.

Tramondozzi returned to the hill in the 10^th looking to redeem himself.  Just like the ninth, the righty retired the first two batters he faced. However, unlike the previous inning, the Peabody native closed out the contest with a strikeout to give UMB the crucial in-region win. 

Fowler led the Beacons with a 2-for-4 day with a run scored.  McCormick was the lone Beacon to register two RBI.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Joey Rogers started the contest and went six complete allowing two runs on four hits, while striking out four in the no decision
• The Beacons have now won four straight over the Gulls after dropping their first eight games
• Monday's contest marked the second straight time that the Beacons had to go to extra innings before earning the win
• The Beacons entered the contest ranked first on the NEIBA Regional Poll for the sixth straight week

WHO'S NEXT

Tomorrow's game against Salve Regina University has been cancelled.  The Beacons will be back in action on Wednesday when they now host Western New England University at 7:15 pm at Monan Park.  The Beacons were originally scheduled to face Amherst College, but that game was cancelled due scheduling issues for Amherst.