BOSTON, MA (April 13, 2024) – The UMass Boston baseball team gave the Owls of Keene State a hoot from Monan Park on Saturday afternoon, as their Senior Day celebration was capitalized off a doubleheader sweep coming off a 11-4 victory in game one, followed by a 10-4 win in game two.

Game One

Graduate right-handed pitcher Max Moss started on the mound in game one and dealt the business for six innings against 25 batters. Moss was credited with the win in game one for his fifth of the season in as many starts. The Beacons' bullpen sent three relievers to close out the game following Moss's departure following the top of the sixth inning. Seniors Thomas Kierce, Brendan Ferrari, and Ethan Errera each pitched an inning to close out game one.

As a team in game one, the Beacons swung for 10 hits and worked nine walks in 31 at-bats. In four at-bats, sophomore Justin Gouveia drove in three runs and came across to score two himself as the underclassmen stepped up big on Senior Day. Seniors Aidan Blake and Bostyn Burris each drove in two runs to support the Beacons' efforts at the plate in the game-one victory.

There were five doubles hit in game one, the first from Gouveia would score the Beacs' first run of the game. First-year Brandon Gaer would join Gouveia with a strong poke to left field to drive in Blake. Gouveia would double again in the fourth inning to drive two more runs in via sophomore Breon Parker and first-year Elliot Miles to bring the Beacons' scoring tally to five runs against the Owls' one. Sophomore Max Garner doubled to left in the seventh inning to drive in junior Mariano Jimenez for the first of the Beacons' final three runs of the afternoon's first outing. Miles would sacrifice fly out to deep right field that would allow sophomore Nick Farnacci to come across to score. Burris' double to deep left field would drive in the final two runs of the day in the form of Parker and Gouveia coming across to score unearned.
The Beacons put down the Owls 11-4 for the final score after the first nine innings of the afternoon.

Game Two

Following the Senior Day ceremony, senior Dillon Ryan took the mound to start game two for the Beacons, as he dealt for five innings against 26 batters. Ryan punched out five batters, a team-high among the bullpen's four relievers. As a team, the Beacons' pitcher accumulated 14 strikeouts and allowed just four runs on eight hits by the Owls. Among the relievers were sophomores Ethan Hunt, and Justin DeFalco, as well as seniors Sam Grey and Tim Cianciolo. Hunt and DeFalco each struck out the side in their one inning of action.

Gouveia picked up where he left off in game one, going three for five from the dish in game two. Gouveia drove in a run and came across himself to score another to contribute two of the Beacs' ten runs in game two. Burris shared the same line as Gouveia in game two, going three for five from the plate, driving in one run and coming across to score another himself. Seniors Aidan Blake and Luke Leavitt each contributed two of the Beacons' 14 total hits. Blake came across to score four runs in game two, and Leavitt drove in three runs off his two hits following his entry in the bottom of the sixth.

The Beacs jumped put to a swift start in game two, but the Owls brought the heat in game two, leveling the scoring at four runs apiece in the fourth inning. The Beacons responded by recording six unanswered runs through the next five innings. As a team, the Beacons swung for 14 hits, five of which were for extra bases, as the Beacons tallied 10 runs to the Owls' four in game two.

Blake recorded two triples in the outing, the first in the first inning to drive home Burris and Gouveia for the first two UMass Boston runs of the game. The second came in the bottom of the third to lead off the inning.

Leavitt pinched hit for Jimenez in the sixth inning and immediately made an impact. He doubled to left-center field to bring home the Beacons' eighth and ninth run of the game via Blake and Gaer coming across to score. Leavitt would single once more in the bottom of the eighth inning to bring home Blake for the tenth and final run to cap off Senior day with a doubleheader sweep over the Owls.

With the pair of wins, the Beacons improve to 18-8 on the season and jump to 8-1 in Little East Conference play. The Beacs are back in action again on Tuesday, April 16^th versus the Panthers of Plymouth State, as they hit the road for a LEC matchup from Plymouth, N.H. For live stats and video coverage, visit UMass Boston - Official Athletics Website (sidearmsports.com).