Six-Run Fourth Fuels UMass Boston Baseball Over Lasell

Waltham, MA— A six-run fourth inning led the University of Massachusetts, Boston past the Lasell Lasers baseball team, 9-3, on Thursday night at Yetten Field.  The game was tied at one-all through the fourth, at which point the Beacons broke through for their 10^th season victory.  

Mike Mattei (Spencer, MA) put the Beacons on top in the second inning scoring on a wild pitch after singling to get on base.  Lasell evened the score in the top of the third.  Sophomore catcher Matt Mahoney (Rockland, MA) led off the inning with a walk and sophomore second baseman Josh Sullivan (Rockland, MA) brought Mahoney home with an RBI-double to left field. 

The Beacons then used five hits and one Laser error to produce the six run inning in the fourth.  The hosts took a 3-1 margin when Mattei reached on an error and two runners scored.  UMass first baseman Connor Reinfurt (Manchester, NH) cranked a double into left center, scoring Mattei, and Pat Lynch (Middletown, RI) and Matt Consiglio (Southbury, CT) each worked in a hit and a run. Drew Tambling (Sterling, MA) completed the frames scoring, stealing three bases, including the run at home which he stole on a pick-off attempt at first.

UMass Boston then tacked on two more runs in the seventh when Mark McCormack (Shelton, CT) came around on a Ryan Walsh (Newton, MA) double and Walsh tallied a run on a Mattei single to cap the host’s scoring, 9-1.

The Lasers got the runs back in the eighth when Mike Mahoney (Rockland, MA) reached on a fielder’s choice and Angelo Colucci (Stoneham, MA) dropped a fly ball into left field to put runners on first and third.  James O’Neil (San Diego, CA) cashed in on a Beacon miscue with an RBI single, scoring Mahoney.  Colucci later came home on a single by Bobby Stachura (Middletown, CT) to bring the score to 9-3.

Freshman right-hander Tom Cole (Mattapoisett, MA) earned his first collegiate victory with five innings of pitching for UMass Boston, allowing one run on three hits and four walks, while striking out six.  Classmate Patrick Noble (Somerville, MA) followed with three solid innings, allowing two unearned runs on three hits, while fanning three.

Sophomore southpaw Matt Pitts (Stoneham, MA) suffered the defeat for Lasell, yielding seven runs (three earned) on 10 hits and two walks, while sitting down four on strikes in five and two-thirds innings of work. 

Sullivan led the Lasers with four of their seven hits in as many at-bats and knocked in a run.

On Saturday, April 10^th, the Lasers will face Great Northeast Athletic Conference preseason favorite St. Joseph’s College of Maine in a doubleheader scheduled for noon at Brandeis University.  The Monks were ranked 26^th nationally in the ABCA preseason polls and are currently 16-8 overall, 4-2 in the conference.