AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Playing in their first of eight games as part of their spring break trip to Florida, UMass Boston Baseball used an all-around effort from the offense and a scoreless six inning start from senior pitcher Tim Cianciolo to defeat Loras College in the opening game of the RussMatt Baseball Tournament, 9-2, on Thursday night.

THE BASICS

UMass Boston 9, Loras College 2

UMass Boston (3-0)

Loras College (4-2)

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Beacon bats immediately went to work against senior pitcher Matt Jeter in the first inning as a single from senior infielder Drew Metzdorf and double by senior infielder Aidan Blake gave UMass Boston a quick 1-0 lead. Senior catcher Craig Corliss hit a single up the middle to score Blake, who advanced to third on a throwing error, making it 2-0 UMass Boston after one.

Back-to-back singles from freshman outfielder Breon Parker and Joey Morrison, followed by  sophomore outfielder Mariano Jimenez's RBI single, extended the Beacon lead to three runs after two innings which would be all the offense UMass Boston would need against the Duhawks.

Throwing 95 pitches across six innings, Cianciolo followed up his four inning outing against MIT with a six-inning shutout, allowing just two hits while striking out four batter and walking five to keep the Beacons in control.

UMass Boston would strike for five runs in the seventh inning when a wild pitch and throwing error scored Jimenez after the sophomore singled alongside Metzdorf to lead off the inning. Three consecutive batters would reach base via walk or hit batter, allowing another run to score before sophomore first baseman Nick Palma delivered the big blow with a two-run double into the centerfield gap. Parker's RBI single made it 8-0 Beacons to cap off the big inning for the offense.

Both sides would exchange a run each as a sacrifice fly by graduate catcher Dakota Church followed an errant throw in the top of the eighth inning allowing UMass Boston to score made it a 9-1 ballgame. Junior pitchers Jackson Snider and Aidan McMillan shut the door on the final two innings for the Beacons as the Duhawks would scrape across one more run on an RBI double by freshman outfielder Jackson Cullen to make it a 9-2 victory for the Beacons.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Drew Metzdorf finished 3-for-5 with a double and also scored three times
• Nick Palma led the offense with a 3-for-5 performance, including a double, and two RBIs
• UMass Boston has now started their season 3-0 for the second consecutive year
• Head Coach Brendan Egyabroat earned his 397th career win, moving within three wins of the 400 career mark

WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston will travel to Polk State College in Winter Haven, Florida tomorrow afternoon for a 2:00 PM matchup against Benedictine University. This will be the first meeting between the two sides since 2006 when the Beacons traveled to Florida to face the Eagles for spring break, a game in which they fell 8-2. It will be one day shy of 17 years since the two teams played each other. Benedictine will enter the game 4-2 on the young season.