Box Score WORCESTER, Mass. – Led by Jared Kuzio's strong showing on the mound, Worcester State University ended baseball's recent win-steak as the Lancers defeated the Beacons by the final of 10-3 Sunday afternoon at Coughlin Field.
Kuzio, allowed just one run on five hits through six complete innings to give the Lancers their 22nd win of the year (22-18). The Beacons dropped to 17-13 following Sunday's loss. Sunday's contest also marked the third straight game for the Beacons, as they get ready to play five games in five days this week.
Worcester State's offense combined for 16 hits in the loss, as they handed Worcester native Steve Roche (Worcester, Mass.) his third loss of the year. The senior righty went five innings and allowed six runs, five earned, on 11 hits. He also had one K and did not allow a walk.
UMass Boston finished with seven hits in Sunday's non-conference affair. Freshman Josh Lopez was one of the Beacons seven players to make contact, as the infielder has now made contact in 10 of the last 11 games.
Nick Brothers (Danville, Calif.), Todd Ezold (Westfield, Mass.), and Daniel Bonito (Swampscott, Mass.) each picked-up a double, while Daniel Mantoni (Northbridge, Mass.), recorded the lone RBI for the Beacons.
Jake Ryan led the Lancers at the plate, as he went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Zach George finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, two runs scored, and had one double.
Looking to build-off of yesterday's conference sweep of the Beacons, and earn their fifth straight victory the Beacons traveled to Worcester as they get ready for the final week of the regular season.
Mantoni got UMass on the board in the top of the first inning on an RBI groundout, which scored Brothers, who had reached on a double to lead off the inning.
Worcester would immediately respond with three runs of-their-own in the bottom half of the inning to take a two-run lead. They would then push their lead to four in the bottom of the second, as they tacked on two more runs thanks to a pair of RBI singles.
Neither team would record a run until the fifth, when the Lancers tacked on one run to make it 6-1 in favor of the home team. The Beacons scoring drought came to an end in the seventh, when Ezequiel Sanchez (Manati, Puerto Rico) and Sal Frosceno (Derby, Conn.) both scored on a throwing error.
The Lancers would seal the victory in the eighth, scoring four runs on four hits to take the non-conference decision. Steve Consiglio (Southbury, Conn.) and Steve Witkowski (Pittsfield, Mass.) both stepped onto the hill for the Beacons on Sunday, with Consiglio going 2.1. The junior transfer allowed two runs on two hits, and had two strikeouts, while Witkowski allowed two runs on three hits in 0.2 of an inning.
Baseball returns to action tomorrow when they face Endicott College at 5:30 p.m. at Campanelli Stadium.
