MCMINNVILLE, O.R. - UMass Boston Baseball dropped the second game of their doubleheader against Linfield University on Friday afternoon by a final score of 9-5.

THE BASICS
UMass Boston 5, Linfield University 9

UMass Boston (5-6)
Linfield University (7-8)

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Beacons jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first when Justin Gouveia manufactured a run by reaching on an error, stealing second, advancing to third on a wild pitch, and scoring on a sacrifice fly.

Linfield was quick to respond, using a two-out, bases loaded single to steal the one-run advantage, 2-1.

Everything was back to even in the second inning when Mariano Jimenez brought home Brandon Gaer to settle the score at 2-2.

After his hiccup in the first inning, starting pitcher Max Moss was lights out for the Beacons. The graduate transfer shutout the Wildcats on just two hits while striking out four in innings two through six. When he finished his outing before the seventh, he was in line for the victory courtesy of a pair of RBI hits from Breon Parker and Aidan Blake that put the Beacons out in front 4-2.

In the seventh inning, Linfield erased the UMass Boston lead with a single swing. Elijah Maris flexed his long ball skills, bringing home Jake Hoskins and himself to tie the game at four. The bottom of the eighth inning told a similar story with a more tragic ending. Linfield's Matthew Lewis hit a grand slam to put the Wildcats out in front 8-4.

Parker brought home Jimenez in the ninth, but the Linfield lead was insurmountable.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Moss leads qualified Beacons pitchers in ERA (1.69) and WHIP (1.19)
• Blake moved into a tie with Mike Meagher for the team lead in RBI with 12
• UMass Boston and Linfield split their four games this week with the Beacons taking the first two and Linfield sweeping the final two

WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons return to New England where they will travel across the city of Boston to Cambridge to take on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Monday, March 18 at 3:30 PM.