Box Score MCMINNVILLE, O.R. - UMass Boston Baseball kicked off a three-game stand with Linfield University on Thursday night, slugging their way to a 10-3 victory over the Wildcats. The Beacons scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back en route to the sizeable victory.

THE BASICS
UMass Boston 10, Linfield University 3

UMass Boston (5-4)
Linfield University (5-8)

HOW IT HAPPENED
After Breon Parker reached on a hit by pitch and advanced on a balk as the game's leadoff hitter, the Beacons ripped off four straight base hits to score him and three-hole hitter Aidan Blake for a 2-0 lead. A walk for Mariano Jimenez pushed home a third run and a bases loaded single for standout freshman Mike Meagher stretched the lead to 5-0 before the Wildcats had an at bat.

A spell of defensive errors allowed Linfield to post a run in the first, but the Beacons held strong to the 5-1 lead after one. 

After batting around in the first, the Beacons went down in order in the second. In the third, however, they played some small ball to manufacture a sixth run, once again courtesy of the bat of Meagher.

The Beacons' starting pitcher, Dillon Ryan, allowed a pair of scores in the first three innings, but locked in to shut down the Wildcats' offense. When his day came to a close after the seventh, he was in line for the win with just two runs allowed on four hits and 10 strikeouts to his name.

Justin Gouveia did his part to back up Ryan, slugging his third homerun of the year in the sixth to stretch the lead to 9-2, bringing home Meagher and himself.

First-year pitcher Jack Cangelosi rescued the Beacons from trouble in the eighth inning, coming into the game in a bases loaded jam and striking out the first batter he faced to end the threat.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Ryan doubled his strikeout total on the season pulling into the team lead by a wide margin
• The Beacons got two hits apiece from their second through sixth hitters and their eight-hole hitter 
• UMass Boston has scored double-digit runs in three of their five victories
• With two hits in three at-bats Brandon Gaer moves into sole possession of the team lead with a .375 batting average
• The Beacons have won both of their matchups with Linfield this week. They will play twice more on Friday

WHO'S NEXT
These two teams will play twice on Friday, first at 2:30 PM EST and again at 5:30 PM EST.