CAMBRIDGE, MA (March 18, 2024) – The UMass Boston Beacons returned to their winning ways from New England, as their first away game back in New England, following their return from the West Coast, results in a 9-7 thriller against the Engineers of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Monday evening from Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Ethan Hunt pitched six innings, struck out three, and allowed only six hits as the Engineers would score six of their seven through Hunt's efforts. Hunt was relieved by graduate right-hander Tim Cianciolo, who pitched 1.2 innings, faced 10 batters, allowed only one hit, and struck out four in his performance from the mound. The Beacons' senior right-handed pitcher Brendan Ferrari came in to relieve Cianciolo and saved the game for the Beacons from the mound, as he held the Engineers to just one hit, through the seven batters he faced. First-year Angelone Centrone, sophomore Elliot Miles, junior Mike Meagher, and senior Boston Burris each saw five plate appearances on the day, with Burris leading the way with three hits and one RBI off two doubles. But it was sophomore outfielder Justin Gouveia who would take the game ball home today, as he went 3-6 from the plate with two RBIs and two runs off a homerun. Meagher also sent one beyond the fence in the victory, as he recorded one run off two hits and two RBIs. Senior Aidan Blake was the leading run scorer for the Beacons, as he came across to score on three separate occasions.

The Engineers opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning following a two-run home run from the Engineers sent over left center, followed by an RBI single to left field in the second inning to spring out to a 3-0 lead early on. The Beacs would string together three hits in the two frames and left three on base in the top of the first. In the third inning, the Engineers added another following a sacrifice fly to left field to score the Engineers' Schoenfeld.

The Beacons finally went on a run to start the fourth inning. Once they got hot, the Beacons kept the offensive pressure until the seventh inning where they scored the final run of their offensive onslaught. The Beacons' first points came from Meagher's two-run homer to left field that would score himself and junior Mariano Jimenez to cut the deficit in half.  

The fifth inning saw the Beacons score an unearned run following an error by the Engineers' third basemen, Blake would take advantage to come around to score to bring them to within one of the deficit.

The Beacons scored three unanswered in the sixth inning, kickstarted by Burris with a sac fly to right field to score sophomore outfielder Breon Parker, leveling the score at four apiece. Gouveia would keep the thumb on the pressure point, scoring on a wild pitch to take the lead for UMass Boston in the sixth inning. Blake would score the final run of the inning following a fly out to center field by Jimenez to give them a two-run cushion as they retook the field in the bottom of the sixth.

The Beacons would score two more final fatal runs off Gouveia's seventh inning two-run home to score himself, and Parker. Gouveia was followed by Miles' RBI single to left that would score Blake for Blake's third and final run scored on the evening. The Engineers would make a final push in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Gouveia sealed the Engineer's fate with a fly ball caught in his territory in right field to end the game with the victory for the Beacons.

The Beacons improved to 6-6 on the year, with their next matchup slated for Wednesday, March 20^th against the Wildcats of Johnson and Wales University from their home field of Monan Park in Boston, MA at 3:00 pm. For live stats and video coverage, visit UMass Boston - Official Athletics Website (beaconsathletics.com).