MANSFIELD, Conn. – The top-seeded Warriors of Eastern Connecticut State University erased an early deficit scoring seven runs over the final three innings to slip past fifth-seeded baseball to earned 7-6 win in game two of the Little East Conference Tournament Thursday afternoon at ECSU Baseball Stadium.
THE BASICS
#5 UMass Boston 6, #1 Eastern Connecticut State University 7
UMass Boston (10-8)
Eastern Connecticut State U. (30-4)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The deciding inning for ECSU came in the bottom of the eighth, when they plated the tying and game winning runs. Prior to that inning the Beacons held a slim 6-5 lead thanks to a one-run top of the seventh.
With the loss, the Beacons have to face the fourth-seeded Corsairs of UMass Dartmouth in an elimination game on Saturday at 1 p.m. The winner of that contest will face the Warriors on Saturday at 4 pm in the championship series of the ECSU pod of the LEC Tournament.
The winner of the ECSU pod, will face the winner of the Southern Maine pod next week in a best of three game championship series with the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
Facing the Warriors ace in Josh Vincent, who entered the contest with a sub 1.00 ERA the Beacons struck for five runs, four earned, on five hits in the first three innings. They then knocked out reliever John Parker after 3.2 innings after tacking on their sixth run of the contest.
Senior
Tylor Arruda (New Bedford, Mass.) had a strong start, but could not maintain the early momentum, as he allowed three runs through 5.2 innings of work. The Warriors would then tack on two more runs off the next two relievers to slip past UMB.
Steve Brookwell (Hightstown, N.J.), led the Beacons bats with a 3-for-3 showing and a run scored.
Aidan Blake (Lakeville, Mass.) also had three hits in four at-bats to go along with a run scored. Brookwell, Blake, and
Curtis Tirone (Waltham, Mass.) each had a double in the tough loss.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Thursday's tournament loss was the first for the Beacons since May 11, 2017 when they fell to UMass Dartmouth 8-7
- The Beacons combined for 10 hits in Thursday's game two loss
- Arruda's 5.2 innings was the third longest start for the senior pitcher this season
WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will face UMass Dartmouth on Saturday at 1 p.m. at ECSU Baseball Stadium in an elimination game.
