DANBURY, Conn. – After cruising to a 14-2 mercy rule victory in game one, baseball nearly pulled out a top of the ninth rally in the nightcap, but fell just short as WestConn hung on for a 5-4 win to split the Little East Conference doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Westside Field.

THE BASICS

UMass Boston (4-5, 4-5 Little East Conference)
WestConn (2-10, 2-9 Little East Conference)

GM1: UMass Boston 14, WestConn 2 (7 innings)
GM2: UMass Boston 4, WestConn 5

HOW IT HAPPENED

GAME 1: UMASS BOSTON 14, WESTCONN 2 (7 INNS.)

In the opener Tylor Arruda (New Bedford, Mass.) was dominant as he went the distance in the Beacons mercy rule victory.  The righty allowed the two runs, one earned, on five hits.  He matched the season-high in strikeouts by a Beacons pitcher with nine, and walked just two batters.

Despite an early run by WestConn, the Beacons immediately responded with a three-run top of the third.  WestConn would score one more run in the fourth, to make it a one-run game.  However any chance of a close ball game was eliminated in the fifth as the Beacons plated seven runs to make it 8-2.  They continued to pile it on in the sixth with four more runs to claim the victory.

Curtis Tirone (Waltham, Mass.) led the Beacons as he went 3-for-5 with two RBI, two runs scored, and a double. Perhaps the biggest hit of the contest came-off the bat from Thomas Cue (Shrewsbury, Mass.), who ripped a two run bomb in the  fifth inning.

As a team the Beacons combined for 12 hits in the game one victory.

GAME 2: UMASS BOSTON 4, WESTCONN 5

The second game of the day saw WestConn score four of their five runs in the fourth inning as they took advantage of the Beacons pitching staff.  WestConn would see two of the four runs walked in, while another came following a hit by pitch.

Steve Brookwell (Hightstown, N.J.), scored the Beacons first run of the day on an RBI double to left field in the top of the second.  WestConn countered with a run of their own in the same inning to keep the score even at 1-1.

After five scoreless innings for both teams, the Beacons offense emerged in the top of the ninth as they looked to either take the lead or at-least force extra innings.

Brookwell would make it a three-run affair after driving in a run with his second RBI double.  Cue would then come home to represent UMB's third run of the contest on a wild pitch.  Brookwell would also come home on a wild pitch with one out on the scoreboard.

WestConn would get the second out of the inning with the bases empty.  Devin Slattery (Ware, Mass.) kept the Beacons comeback hopes alive with a single.  Chris Ducko (Dedham, Mass.) would pinch run for Slattery and quickly moved over to third thanks to a double by Ben Irvine (Peabody, Mass.).  Despite having the tying run 90 feet away, WestConn was able to secure the victory with a strikeout.
Mike Hendler earned the save as he closed out the ninth, with the win going to Kyle Brelling.  Jackson Snider (Durham, N.C.) was handed the loss after allowing three runs on two hits through the first three innings.

BY THE NUMBERS

• All-time UMass Boston is now 33-19-1 against WestConn
• Prior to the game two loss UMass Boston had won seven-straight over WestConn, with four coming via the mercy rule
• Arruda becomes the first Beacon this season to pitch a complete game as he improved to 1-0 on the year
• Brookwell was one of four players to record two hits in the nightcap.  He also led the Beacons with two RBI

WHO'S NEXT

The Beacons will host Plymouth State University on Sunday at 12 p.m. in an LEC doubleheader.  The Beacons will be the visiting team for both contests.