BOSTON, MA (March 12, 2024)— Senior pitcher Bri Melchionda held the Lions of the College of New Jersey to just two hits through nine innings pitched on the mound, as the Beacons' softball squad notched their fourth win in five games following their 2-1 victory on Tuesday afternoon from North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Melchionda pitched nine innings and held the Lions to two hits while throwing 114 pitches for nine strikeouts and one walk through a whopping 33 batters faced as she improved her record to 2-0 this season. Junior Amauri English tallied two hits in four at-bats. First-year Mya Perron had one hit in two at-bats with an RBI sacrifice fly, for the sole UMass Boston RBI in the game. The game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning was scored by sophomore Sophie Richland following a sacrifice bunt that turned into a base hit following a Lions' error at first base to secure the Lions' fate as the Beacons secure a big victory from North Myrtle Beach.

The only hit through the first three full innings came from the Lions in the bottom of the first inning following a single to right field. The pitchers from both sides stole the spotlight as the game turned to a dual of the pitchers in the early embers of the game.

The top of the fourth inning the Beacons finally tallied their first hit of the game off graduate infielder Haley Tilberry's single up the middle. As the Beacs failed to develop any momentum of Tiberry's single, Melchionda stayed solid on the mound backed by the Beacons' defense, as the Lions went three and out in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The top of the fifth inning saw the Lions make a change on the mound, as Elizabeth Gosse took to the mound for the Lions, and picked up right where the starting pitcher left off, as UMass Boston was only able to register one hit off the pitching change following English's single to right center field.

Melchionda stayed in following TCNJ's swap to dish out two swinging strikeouts in the bottom of the fifth inning with the score still unbroken at the initial tie.

Perron kicked off the top of the sixth inning with a double to right field, but was tagged out in a Richland single back to the pitcher. Richland advanced to third following Tilberry's ground out at first for the winning run one base away in the top of the sixth with two outs, however, Gosse got the best of the Beacons as she was able to stop the bleeding from the mound to give TCNJ one last chance, if not for Bri Melchionda's magnificence. Melchionda struck out the first, with the Beacs' defense handling the rest as they headed into the seventh inning with the Lions going scoreless off one hit in the bottom of the sixth.

In the top of the eighth, the Beacons tallied the first run of the game following Perron's sac fly to center field that would score Melchionda from third. Melchionda's run would serve as the Beacs' only in the top of the eighth as they took the field with the opportunity to win it. The Beacons' defense drew two outs from foul balls in the bottom of the eighth, however the Lions were able to draw even off a UMass Boston error, for an unearned run.

Richland would score from second on a sac bunt by Tilberry that drew a muffed throw that would give Richland enough time to score the winning run. With the defense behind her, Melchionda drew a fly out, then a ground out to shortstop, and closed out her showcase with a swinging strikeout as the Beacs took home their fourth victory from North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The Beacons improve to 4-1 this season following the win. With four wins in five games on only Tuesday of this week, the UMass Boston Beacons' softball team is sure to have some traction in the national NCAA DIII softball polls, keep an eye out for your Beacons! Up next from Myrtle Beach, the Beacons have the Griffins of Gwynedd Mercy University at 1:00pm on Wednesday, March 12.Live stats and video coverage can be found at UMass Boston - Official Athletics Website (beaconsathletics.com).