WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Looking to build off their big win on Thursday afternoon, UMass Boston Baseball ran into the hot bats of Benedictine University on Friday afternoon at Polk State College, falling 16-6 to the Eagles in eight innings.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 6, Benedictine University 16 (8 Innings)
UMass Boston (3-1)
Benedictine University (5-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Senior infielder Andrew Tenison got the scoring started for Benedictine in the first inning with a single to right field which put the Eagles ahead 1-0. Responding in the bottom half of the frame, senior catcher
Craig Corliss tied the game up at one all with his RBI double to centerfield heading into the second inning.
With two outs in the second, sophomore utilityman Chase Hanselman hit a bloop double between left field and short, scoring two runs before graduate infielder Kevin Bushnell's RBI single plated Hanselman to make it a 4-1 ballgame. UMass Boston would scratch across a run in the home half of the inning on a double by freshman outfielder
Joey Morrison to pull within two, 4-2, before once again the Eagles would go on the offensive.
A triple by senior infielder Ryan Doubek plated two more for the Eagles and an RBI groundout by Bushnell made it 7-2 in favor of the visiting team which seemed to put them in full control. However, the Beacon bats would not go quietly as freshman outfielder
Breon Parker's RBI single followed by a two-out, two-RBI single by senior infielder
Aidan Blake pulled UMass Boston back with two, 7-5, in the sixth inning.
But once more, Benedictine would mount a response this time to the tune of four runs on six hits in the seventh inning which was highlighted by back-to-back doubles from freshman catcher Logan Gregorio and senior outfielder Alex Cameron. A sacrifice bunt by Doubek and RBI single from Hansel made it 11-5 in favor of the Eagles.
After an error allowed senior first baseman
Nick Palma to score the sixth run of the afternoon for the Beacons, Benedictine would use a Cameron sacrifice fly and grand slam by Bushnell to push their advantage to 10 runs, enacting the 10-run mercy rule as the Beacon offense went quietly in the bottom half of the eighth inning, falling 16-6, at Bing Tyus Field.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Kyle Bushnell led the way for Benedictine University with a 3-for-5 performance, driving in six runs, including four via the grand slam
- Sophomore pitcher Keenan Metrick threw three scoreless innings in relief for UMass Boston, allowing two hits, striking out three batters, and walking one
- Aidan Blake led the UMass Boston offense with a 2-for-4 day while driving in two runs
- Head Coach Brendan Egyabroat still sits at 397 career wins, just three shy of reaching the 400 career win mark
WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston heads to Sanford Stadium in Sanford, Florida tomorrow evening for a 6:00 PM matchup against William Paterson University. The Beacons are 0-2 against the Pioneers with both games occurring during previous spring break trips in 2010 and 2013. In the last head-to-head battle, UMass Boston dropped the contest 11-2 while the first matchup was a 7-0 loss for the Beacons.
