PROVIDENCE, R.I (April 21, 2024)—The UMass Boston baseball team picked up one of two victories in their Little East Conference doubleheader against the Anchormen of Rhode Island College from Providence, Rhode Island on Sunday afternoon, as the Beacons secured the 20 victory win mark for the eighth consecutive season, excluding the COVID years.

Game One

In game one, the Beacons fell into an offensive dogfight, that was tight until the very end but came up just short in nine innings, falling 16-18 in game one.

The Beacons' bullpen sent out five pitchers to see action in game one, with graduate Max Moss starting on the mound. Sophomore Justin DeFalco, junior Ross Dexter, and senior Sam Grey each took over for a combined six innings of action. Senior Tim Cianciolo took over in the bottom of the eighth inning to close things out for the final inning of Beacons' action in game one. The Beacs' bullpen totaled 11 strikeouts with just four walks.

From the plate, the Beacons totaled 17 hits for 16 runs, on 13 RBIs including three home runs from three Beacons' batters. Senior Aidan Blake had himself a day at the dish, leading the way for UMass Boston with four hits in six at-bats, to go with two runs scored and a run driven in. Sophomore Justin Gouveia and junior Mariano Jimenez each went 3-5 from the plate and drove in three runs while coming across to score three times each. Jimenez and Gouveia each recorded home runs in the effort, along with first-year Brandon Gaer, as the three combined to drive home seven of the Beacons' 16 runs.

The Beacs took the plate to start game one with authority, immediately adding two runs in the first inning following Blake's RBI single to left, and Gaer's groundout allowing senior Bostyn Burris to score.

Gaer's homer in the third inning brought home himself along with Blake to increase the scoring to 5-8 with the Beacons trailing by three.

Gouveia's fifth-inning two-run homerun would bring home himself along with sophomore Breon Parker to tie the scoring at 11 apiece with four more chances at the plate.

Jimenez provided three more from his sixth-inning homerun that brought home sophomore Max Garner and junior Mike Meagher. Burris provided a single to left field that brought home Gouveia and Parker for the Beacs' final 15^th and 16^th runs of the outing.

The Beacons ultimately fell just short after nine innings, as the Anchormen outlasted the Beacons 16-18 in game one.

Game Two
In game two, the Beacons returned to the win column with an 11-5 victory over the Anchormen in game two.

The Beacons' bullpen only needed two to get the job done in game two, as senior Dillon Ryan went the distance for seven innings while allowing just three runs on seven hits, as he punched out seven batters and walked three against the 31 total batters he faced for his fifth win of the season. Senior Thomas Kierce came in to relieve Ryan for the final two innings of action, as he faced nine batters and added two more strikeouts to his season totals.

Gouveia continued to lead the way offensively going 3-6 from the plate in game two, including a double. Aidan Blake drove in two runs off two hits including a home run to lead the game off, while coming home to score three of the Beacons' 11 total runs. First-year Elliot Miles also recorded two hits in five at-bats, as he came across to score once.

Blake's two-run home run scored himself and Bostyn Burris for the first two runs of the game, as UMass Boston once again sprang out to an early jump to begin game two.

The Beacs added three more runs in the third inning, the first came from sophomore Max Garner, as his double to right center brought home Blake for the Beacs' third run, followed by Jimenez's single to left center to bring home Garner, and Meagher for UMass Boston's fifth run of the game.

In the sixth inning, continued to push the needle with two home runs, one from Burris to score himself and Gouveia, and another from Gaer to score himself and Blake, as the Beacs ran up the score to 9-3 entering the final three innings.

The Beacs added two more for insurance purposes in the final two innings following sacrifice flies from sophomore Breon Parker and Garner that would bring home Burris and Miles for the final runs of the Beacons' outing.

Following today's LEC action, the Beacs improve to 20-10 on the season, while maintaining a conference record of 9-3 with their next LEC test scheduled for Tuesday, April 23^rd against the Corsairs of UMass Dartmouth from the Beacs' home field of Monan Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Live stats and video coverage can be found at UMass Boston - Official Athletics Website (beaconsathletics.com).