BOSTON - The UMass Boston baseball team posted a 5-3 non-conference victory over visiting Endicott College Tuesday afternoon at Monan Park, hanging on for the win as the Gulls attempted to rally from a four-run deficit in the ninth.
 
THE BASICS
 
UMass Boston 5, Endicott 3
 
UMass Boston (14-4)
Endicott (15-5)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Endicott jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on Nicolas Notarangelo's solo blast to right in the top of the first inning, which was the lone blemish on an otherwise strong outing from junior Tim Cianciolo (New Milford, Mass.), who would not factor in the decision after allowing just the one run on three hits in his five innings of work.
 
After stranding runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings, the Beacons finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at 1-1. Sophomore Luke Leavitt (Manchester by the Sea, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the innings and eventually scored from third on graduate Steve Brookwell's (Hightstown, N.J.) two-out single to center. Senior Nico Kydes (Stamford, Conn.) also tried to score on the play, but was thrown out at the plate by Endicott center fielder Caleb Shpur to end the inning.  
 
UMass Boston took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh when Brookwell scored from third on a double-steal that saw senior Drew Metzdorf (Burlington, Mass.) advance to second after he reached base with a single to left. He later scored from third on senior Craig Corliss' (Hopkinton, Mass.) double down the right field line to give the Beacons a 3-1 lead.
 
UMass Boston took advantage of the Gulls' lone error in the game to tack on two insurance runs in the eighth. Freshman Mariano Jimenez (Waltham, Mass.) and junior Chris Ducko (Dedham, Mass.) were on second and third with one out when Endicott third baseman had what looked to be a ground out for Brookwell, but the ball skipped off his glove and allowed both baserunners to head home.
 
Those runs proved to be huge as the Gulls scored twice in the top of the ninth for the 5-3 final. Joseph Millar drove in a pair of runs with his two-out double down the left field line before advancing to third on a wild pitch. The threat would end with the next batter, as graduate Josh Eastman (Marshfield, Mass.) got Shpur to ground out to junior Gianni Zarrilli, Jr. (South Glastonbury, Conn.) to end the game.
 
Freshman Ross Dexter (Milton, Mass.) earned the decision after fanning two of the three batters he faced in the top of the seventh, improving his record to 2-0. Eastman picked up his third save after allowing two runs on one hit and a pair of ninth-inning walks over the final two innings.
 
Foch Lovejoy fell to 2-2 for the Gulls after allowing two runs on two hits and a hit batter in his inning-plus of work. Will Fox yielded a pair of unearned runs on two hits and two walks while pitching the eighth for the visitors.
 
WHAT'S NEXT?
 
The Beacons are next scheduled to host a non-conference contest against Roger Williams University Thursday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Monan Park.