WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - UMass Boston Baseball picked up a crucial late-season sweep of the reigning Little East Conference champions of Eastern Connecticut State University. The Beacons took game one 10-7 courtesy of a grand slam from
Mariano Jimenez, and secured the sweep behind a 5-4 victory in game two.
THE BASICS
UMass Boston 10, Eastern Connecticut State University 7
UMass Boston 5, Eastern Connecticut State University 4
UMass Boston (23-12, 12-3 LEC)
Eastern Connecticut State University (23-11, 10-3 LEC)
HOW IT HAPPENED
A pitching duel in the opening innings of game one saw just a single run cross the plate for each UMass Boston and Eastern Connecticut. The Warriors, however, struck in the seventh to grab their first lead of the day, 2-1.
Jimenez helped out his squad in a big way in the top of the eighth, going yard to break the game wide open. His sixth home run of the season came with the bases loaded to put the Beacons out in front, 5-2.
Not to be outdone, the Warriors recorded multi-RBI hits in back-to-back at-bats in the bottom of the inning. The four run explosion erased Jimenez' grand slam, putting Eastern Connecticut out in front 6-5.
The Beacons' offense stayed hot in the top of the ninth. Pinch running for Mike Gorman,
Nick Farnacci came in to tie the game on a
Breon Parker sacrifice fly. With two outs on the board, the Beacons used two hits, a walk, a hit by pitch, and an error to send home four more runs.
Aidan Blake got the barrage started with a double that brought home
Bostyn Burris and
Elliot Miles to break the tie.
The Warriors went deep to cut into the lead in the bottom of the ninth, but
Tim Cianciolo held on to shut the door on the 10-7 victory.
Game two saw a similarly tough stretch for both offenses in the opening innings of the game. Through the end of the fourth, the teams were knotted at one run apiece.
An Eastern Connecticut error in the top of the fifth sent Parker to second base on a bunt and brought Miles all the way home to break the tie. Burris added a sac fly to move Parker, and Jimenez once again broke the game wide open, this time delivering a two-RBI double to put his team up 5-2.
The Warriors touched home in the fifth and the seventh to make the game close, but
Thomas Kierce and Cianciolo combined to close the door on the 5-4 victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
- In their last three conference games, the Beacons have gone 3-0 against their fellow top-three seeds
- They account for three of just five combined LEC losses for ECSU and UMass Dartmouth
- Cianciolo finished the day with a win and a save, striking out five in 2.1 innings of work
- Jimenez combined for seven RBI in the two games
- Miles recorded four hits on the day including a three-hit game in game two
- Saturday marked the first doubleheader sweep of the Warriors for the Beacons since April 13, 2019
WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will host conference foe Plymouth state University at Monan Park on Tuesday, April 30. First pitch will be at 3 PM.
