AUBURNDALE, FL (March 20, 2025) – The UMass Boston baseball team (8-4) led by three runs after four innings against NCAA Division III's second-ranked (d3baseball.com) Johns Hopkins University (14-2), but a three-run rally by the Blue Jays ultimately handed the Beacons a one-run defeat in their Spring Break finale. Despite the loss, UMass Boston's performance was a strong showing against one of the nation's top programs, as the Beacons maintained the lead for four innings.

Senior pitcher Ross Dexter (Milton, Mass.) started on the mound for the Beacons, throwing five innings and facing 25 batters while recording a team-high in strikeouts. The Beacons used three relievers – Justin Silverstein (Shelton, Conn.), Logan Lawrence (Taunton, Mass.), and Thomas Kierce (Cohasset, Mass.) – to close out the final three innings, allowing just four hits during that stretch.

How it Happened:

Graduate student Bostyn Burris (Highland Village, Tex.) was instrumental in the Beacons' offensive efforts, driving in the first two runs of the game. In the opening frame, Burris brought in Justin Gouveia (Dartmouth, Mass.) on a sacrifice fly. In the third inning, Burris added another run with an RBI double that scored Breon Parker (Springfield, Mass.).

The Blue Jays responded in the third, with senior infielder Dylan Whitney cutting the Beacons' lead to 2-1 with an RBI double. However, UMass Boston quickly extended their lead in the fourth. Mike Meagher (Marston's Mills, Mass.) displayed smart baserunning and scored on a fielding error at first base, making it 3-1 in favor of the UMass Boston.

Parker later provided additional insurance with an RBI single in the fourth, bringing in Elliot Miles (Portsmouth, N.H.) from third to give UMass Boston a 4-1 lead going into the second half of the game.

However, the Blue Jays capitalized on a costly fifth-inning error to tie the game. They took the lead for good in the sixth, completing the comeback with a final run that sealed the 5-4 victory.

By the Numbers:

• Burris finished 3-4 with two of the Beacons' three RBIs. Parker was 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Together, they accounted for three of the Beacons' four runs in the game.
• Richard Williams (Georgetown, Mass.), Gouveia, and Meagher each recorded hits in the contest.
• Gouveia, Miles, Nick Farnacci (Farmingdale, N.Y.), and Parker each stole a base.
• Miles, Farnacci, and Jacob Levine (Easton, Mass.) combined for a double play in the field.

What's Next:

Following a 2-3 trip against top regional and national teams, the Beacons head back to Boston, where they will begin their Little East Conference season this Saturday (March 22) with a doubleheader against the Vermont State University Castleton Spartans at Monan Park. The first pitch for game one is set for 12:00 p.m., with game two to follow at approximately 3:00 p.m. Stay tuned to the official UMass Boston Athletics website for live coverage.

--FOR THE TIMES--