PROVIDENCE, R.I. – If UMass Boston Baseball was going to keep their season alive, they were going to have to take down the top team in the Little East Conference on Thursday afternoon in Rhode Island College. After getting swept in the regular season with the bats held in check, the Beacon offense came to life against junior pitcher Terry Murray, snapping their Anchormen's nine-game winning streak with a 9-3 victory, and advancing to Friday in the LEC Tournament to take on sixth-seeded Castleton University at 11:30 AM.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 9, Rhode Island College 3
UMass Boston (23-17)
Rhode Island College (29-12)
HOW IT HAPPENED
UMass Boston would make the most of two early errors by the Anchormen senior catcher
Craig Corliss put the Beacons on the board in the first inning with an RBI single up the middle, making it a 1-0 ballgame in favor of the designated home team, following a fielding error by junior shortstop Izaiah Rivera. Two more Beacon runners would come across the plate in the second frame on a wild pitch by Murray and following an error by sophomore first baseman Daniel Trzepacz, senior infielder
Drew Metzdorf would make the most of the miscue and plate freshman outfielder
Justin Gouveia to make it 3-0 in favor of UMass Boston.
Rhode Island College looked to chip away at their early deficit in the third inning as they would scratch across two runs across sophomore pitcher
Ross Dexter. With one out, five singles across six batters would allow the Anchormen to plate two runs via freshman infielder Lucas McElroy and senior utility player Cole Podedworny's RBI singles, cutting the UMass Boston lead down to one, 3-2, after three.
But six unanswered runs for UMass Boston would do the trick in keeping them alive in the LEC Tournament with the big blow coming when the Beacons put up a five spot in the fifth inning. Senior infielder
Gianni Zarrilli Jr. highlighted the big inning with a three-run home run that broke open a four-run lead for UMass Boston before an errant throw on a double steal by junior catcher David Iannuccilli plated another run for the Beacons. Junior infielder
Bostyn Burris finished off the frame with an RBI single of his own as UMass Boston led 8-2 after tagging Murray for five more runs.
Senior first baseman
Nick Palma's ground-rule RBI double would be the final run of the day for the Beacons who drove Murray out of the game after six innings giving up nine runs (seven earned) on 14 hits while striking out four and walking one. The nine runs were the most Murray has given up in his last five starts combined and 14 hits were the most he has given up in a start all season.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Nick Palma finished the game with a team-leading four hits, going 4-for-5 with a souble, an RBI, and a run scored
- With his three-run home run, Gianni Zarrilli Jr. now has seven home runs on the season, tying his career-high in a single season (2022)
- Ross Dexter picked up the win going six innings, giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out nine and walking two
- UMass Boston has won six consecutive LEC postseason games against Rhode Island College dating back to 2010
WHO'S NEXT
UMass Boston will take on sixth-seeded Castleton University in an elimination game tomorrow morning in the Little East Conference Tournament at 11:30 AM with the winner advancing to Saturday's final day of competition. In their doubleheader earlier this season, the Beacons swept the Spartans at home by final scores of 5-1 and 3-2, to start LEC play 2-0 on the young season.
