MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Down to their final three outs, UMass Boston Softball continued their hot start offensively to the 2023 season, showing that they are a team to watch out for in the Little East Conference. Four consecutive hits, culminating in a two-RBI triple by senior infielder Haley Tilberry sent the Beacons to 5-1 on the young season with a 7-6 comeback victory over Keystone College on Wednesday afternoon in South Carolina.

THE BASICS

UMass Boston 7, Keystone College 6

UMass Boston (5-1)

Keystone College (1-3)

HOW IT HAPPENED
This time around it would be the opposition who got on the scoreboard first as junior first baseman Elle Olivero doubled home senior outfielder Isabella Mandarano for the first run of the contest, putting Keystone College ahead 1-0 in the first inning. That initial lead would not last for long as the Beacons came back with two runs of their own in the home half of the frame when sophomore utility player Amauri English singled in a run and sophomore catcher Kaitlyn Sawyer reached on an error to make it 2-1 UMass Boston.

Another error by the Beacons, in a game that included eight combined errors, five of which were for UMass Boston, scored the tying run for the Giants in the very next inning. Sawyer would give the Beacons the lead back again, 3-2, with an infield single that scored senior first baseman Jordan Toomey in the third inning.

Four runs would come across the plate for Keystone College in the fifth inning starting with a double from sophomore infielder Mallory Perkins. The fifth error of the afternoon for the Beacons would plate two more runs for the Giants before an RBI single from junior pitcher Courtney Cienki made it a 6-3 ballgame when the inning was all set and done.

Chipping away at the deficit, UMass Boston would get a run back on a passed ball in the sixth inning and head into the final inning of play in a two-run hole, 6-4. After senior outfielder Sydney Sanden's groundout, freshman infielder Lauren Miner got on base with a single and then scored on an RBI double from English to cut the Beacon deficit to one, 6-5.

A Sawyer and advancement put runners on second and third for UMass Boston who had the bottom of the lineup at the plate with the veteran Tilberry at the dish. The senior laced a two-run triple, scoring Sawyer and freshman outfielder Kyleigh Gray to win the game for the Beacons, 7-6, and send them to a record of 5-1 heading into their late day game.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Amauri English finished 2-for-4 with a single, double, and two RBIs which brings her season total to nine RBIs, one more than she had in 28 games last season
• Kaitlyn Sawyer had her best game in a Beacon uniform so far this season, going 2-for-4 with two singles, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen bases
• Freshman pitcher Adrianna Fusco got her first win of the season, pitching the final two innings while allowing no runs on no hits with a strikeout and walk
• UMass Boston has recorded 10-plus hits in five consecutive games

WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston faces McDaniel College for the first time in program history at 5:00 PM this afternoon.