BOSTON, Mass. – Making his return to the mound for the first time since his injury in Florida, graduate pitcher Josh Eastman came back in style for UMass Boston Baseball with a brand-new delivery and arsenal of pitches as the right-hander made his first collegiate start for the Beacons against New England College on Wednesday afternoon.

Pitching in a career-high four innings as the starter, Eastman allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits while striking out four and walking two in his return as UMass Boston backed their newly minted starter with 13 runs over the first four innings to help the Beacons take down the Pilgrims, 18-4.
 
THE BASICS
 
UMass Boston 18, New England College 6
 
UMass Boston (18-10)
New England College (9-18)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
A pair of two-out runs would come across the plate for New England College on a bloop single between second base and right field by junior catcher JD Normand before UMass Boston struck back for eight unanswered runs starting with the game-tying two-run single by senior second baseman Aidan Blake in the opening frame.

Six runs would plate for the Beacons on five hits in the second inning with the big blows coming from freshman outfielder Breon Parker and senior catcher Craig Corliss's two-run doubles sandwiched on either end of an RBI single by freshman outfielder Justin Gouveia and RBI fielder's choice from Aidan Blake to make it an 8-2 UMass Boston advantage.

Normand would plate two more for the Pilgrims in the third with his double which cut the Beacon lead to four, 8-4, but UMass Boston responded with five more runs in the bottom half of the inning. Two New England College errors drove in a pair of runs for the Beacons, but an RBI single from Parker and two-run triple by Blake were the momentous hits of the frame in the 13-4 ballgame.

Burris would add a two-run triple while sophomore outfielder Reed Burkett-Scheneider's RBI groundout furthered the UMass Boston edge to 12 runs, 16-4, in the fifth before freshman pitcher Marcus Mensah would make his first collegiate relief appearance in the sixth inning. Mensah would work a clean inning, striking out and walking one batter.

Both teams would plate two runners in the final three innings of play as UMass Boston would get back in the win column with a big 18-6 victory over New England College.

BY THE NUMBERS

• In his first collegiate start, Reed Burkett-Schneider finished 2-for-5 with his first collegiate hit and RBI, Burkett-Schneider also scored twice and walked once
• Aidan Blake had a five-RBI day, going 2-for-4 with a single and a triple while also scoring twice and stealing a base
• In his first collegiate at-bat, freshman infielder Josh Garner worked a walk and scored while also striking out, Garner has made eight relief appearances this season
• All nine starters for UMass Boston reached base via hits while seven of them recorded multi-hit games

 
WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston continues their busy week with the start of a four-game road trip tomorrow afternoon at Nichols College with first pitch scheduled for 3:30 PM. The Beacons are 3-0 all-time against the Bison, including a win in their most recent matchup last season, a 6-4 victory at home.