BOSTON, MA (May 4, 2024) – The Beacons' softball team successfully secures the doubleheader sweep against the Warriors of Eastern Connecticut State from the UMB Softball Field on Saturday, as the Beacons celebrated their senior day in style to conclude the 2024 Little East Conference regular Season. With the doubleheader win, the Beacons earn the 2024 Little East Conference regular season title with an 11-5 conference record, the Beacons' first since 2017.

Game One

Senior Bri Melchionda handled business in game one on the mound, as she dealt for all eight innings of action. She faced 34 batters, punched out a new season-high 12 batters, and only allowed one run off five hits for her 13^th win of the season, and for her 36^th W of her career.

In game one, the Beacons rallied for nine hits in 31 at-bats, led by Melchionda, first-year Hayley Krockta, and junior Amauri English each led the way from the plate with two hits in four appearances. English contributed a double for extra bases, and Krockta was the hero on senior day in game one with a walk-off homerun in the eighth inning.

The Warriors possessed the only run of the game for the first four innings in game one, as ECSU struck first in the first inning with a squeeze bunt down the first base line.
Senior Lauryn Bethea would strike things even in the fourth inning, as she sent a line drive back up the middle to bring home English.

The defenses were in for a marathon, as neither team could record a run through the next four innings.

As the bottom half of the first extra inning came to pass, Krockta would meet the plate with sophomore Lauren Miner on second base. Krockta got a piece of a pitch right in her sweet spot, and drove a high fly ball well
over the left field fence for the winning RBI in game one, as the Beacons swarmed the first-year first-basemen for her senior day heroics.

Game Two
Graduate Jacqueline Cherry took charge at the bump in game two, and dealt the business for all seven innings against 31 batters, as she struck out two while allowing only two runs on five hits.

Melchionda led the way from the batter's box for the Beacons in game two with a run scored along with three hits in four appearances as the designated player. UMass Boston drove in four RBI's in game two, with the most crucial coming in the bottom of the seventh inning.

This time around, the Beacons struck first in the bottom of the first inning off Miner's RBI single to left field that brought home Melchionda for the Beacons' first run of the game.

The Warriors dug in for the next six innings and responded by adding two runs in the top of the fifth off a misplay in left field that allowed two runs to come across unearned.

With the scoring tied and the Beacons' last chance at the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, Cherry got the offense rolling with a single to left, followed by first-year Mya Perron allowing her to advance to second off another single, this time within the infield. Sophomore Sofie Richland worked a clutch walk to load the bases, followed by senior Haley Tillbury working another walk for a clutch RBI to level the scoring at two a piece. With the bases loaded and the score tied in the bottom of the seventh, the Beacons sent Melchionda back to the plate for her moment on senior day. Athletes as kids dream of moments like these, and Melchionda saw her dreams come to fruition with an RBI single back up the middle for a walk-off hit on her senior day to slay the Warriors of Eastern Connecticut 3-2.

With back-to-back walk-offs in the doubleheader sweep, the Beacons jump to 28-10 at the conclusion of their regular season, while retaining an 11-5 conference record to take the crown of LEC Regular Season Champs. Stay tuned for updates regarding the 2024 LEC Postseason tournament, as the Beacs will play host to the rest of the conference following their conference finish in the regular season. For updates and all things UMass Boston Athletics, visit UMass Boston - Official Athletics Website (beaconsathletics.com).