BOSTON - The UMass Boston pitching staff combined for 17 strikeouts as the Beacons posted an 8-0 non-conference win over Lasell University Thursday afternoon at Monan Park. Junior Tim Cianciolo (New Milford, Conn.) fanned 10 of those batters while allowing two hits over his six innings of work to earn the decision on the hill.
 
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 8, Lasell 0
 
UMass Boston (2-0)
Lasell (0-1)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
The Beacons pitching staff allowed just three hits and two walks while combining for 17 strikeouts. Following Cianciolo , sophomore Brendan Ferrari (Dunstable, Mass.) fanned four batters in the scoreless seventh and eighth innings. Junior Thomas Kierce (Cohasset, Mass.) fanned each of the final three batters of the contest in the ninth after issuing a walk and hitting a batter to start the frame.
 
UMass Boston got all the offense it would need in the bottom of the first inning, as senior Craig Corliss (Hopkinton, Mass.) drove in graduate Steve Brookwell (Hightstown, N.J.) with a single up the middle before coming around to score on junior Aidan Blake's (Lakeville, Mass.) triple to the gap in right.
 
The Beacons also put up crooked numbers in the sixth and eighth innings, highlighted by junior Gianni Zarrilli, Jr. (South Glastonbury, Conn.) launching a two-run homer that stayed just fair while hugging the left field line in the sixth to extend the lead to 5-0.
 
Freshman Mariano Jimenez (Waltham, Mass.) opened the three-run eighth when head headed home on sophomore Luke Leavitt's (Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass.) sac-fly, and Zarrilli followed on Brookwell's triple the game in left. Brookwell capped the scoring in the game when he advanced home a wild pitch.
 
Zarrilli had one of two multi-hit games for UMass Boston, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. Blake finished 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, one RBI and a run scored.
 
Chris O'Connor (0-1) took the loss on the hill for the Lasers after allowing two runs on four hits over the first three innings. He also recorded six strikeouts and hit a pair of batters.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
 
? UMass Boston pitchers have now struck out 38 batters across 18 innings of work, walking only six
? The Beacons moved to 7-1 all time against Lasell.
? Thursday's game was the first shutout by either team in the history of the series.
? Ciancolo notched his first career win, setting new career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts.


WHO'S NEXT?
 
The Beacons will host a non-conference twin bill against Northern Vermont University-Lyndon tomorrow night. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Monan Park.