BOSTON, Mass. – Graduate student James Salta (Laconia, N.H.) had four hits, scored four runs and drove in three but the University of Massachusetts Boston took both ends of a Little East Conference (LEC) double header at Monan Park on Sunday.
 
The Panthers carved into a 10-0 deficit with seven runs over a two-inning span in the opener, but UMass Boston went on to a 19-8 win. In game two PSU trailed 6-4 after four innings, but the Beacons' bats exploded for 12 runs over the final five innings for an 18-8 win.
 
Plymouth State ends the day with an 8-9 mark (4-7 LEC), while the Beacons improve to 6-5 (6-5 LEC).
 
The Basics:

• Game 1: Plymouth State 8, UMass Boston 19 (8 Inn.)
• Game 2: Plymouth State 8, UMass Boston 18
  • Plymouth State (8-9, 4-7 LEC)
  • UMass Boston (6-5, 6-5 LEC)

 
How it Happened (Game One):

• UMass Boston, batting first, scored in each of the first three innings to build a 10-0 lead before the Panthers started chipping away.
• PSU scored twice in the bottom of the third, sparked by back-to-back triples from junior Drew Metzdorf (Burlington, Mass.) and Salta. Later, senior Andrew Wasilefsky (Willington, Conn.) reached on an error allowing Salta to score to make it 10-2.
• Plymouth State continued to carve into the deficit with a five-run fourth. Sophomore Nick Healey (Campton, N.H.) singled and after two outs freshman Luke Sokolski (Waterford, Conn.) ripped a ground-rule double.
• An error allowed one run to score and Salta's infield hit made it 10-4. Sophomore Griffin Crane (Lancaster, N.H.) drove in two with a double and, after a hit batter, junior Brody Fillion (Littleton, N.H.) singled to pull PSU to within 10-7.
• The Beacons rallied, though, scoring in each of the next four innings to push the margin to 19-7.
• Crane rocked a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth to account for the final score.

By the Numbers (Game One):

• Metzdorf (triple, single), Salta (triple, single) and Crane (double, homer) all had two hits, with Crane driving in three and Salta bringing home two.
• All three also scored two runs, while Metzdorf picked up a pair of stolen bases.
• Sophomore Ryan Hurlbert (Middletown, Conn.) suffered his first loss of the year (3-1).

 
How it Happened (Game Two):

• The Beacons' bats stayed hot into game two, as UMass Boston jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings.
• PSU rallied in the bottom of the fourth. Salta walked and moved up on an error before scoring on Crane's single. Another error allowed Wasilefsky to reach and Fillion followed with an RBI single. The Beacons' third error of the inning made it 6-3 and Sokolski followed with a run-scoring double to pull the Panthers to within 6-4.
• The unrelenting Beacons' offense answered back with a four-run fifth inning.
• Senior Joe Routhier (Nashua, N.H.) worked a bases loaded walk to make it 10-5, but UMass Boston responded with another four-run outburst.
• Plymouth State didn't quit, pushing across runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but the deficit was too large to overcome.

By the Numbers (Game Two):

• Salta had another multi-hit game going 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI while also working a walk.
• Fillion also had two hits, while Crane singled to go with two walks. Metzdorf also walked twice.
• Junior Derek Walker (Littleton, N.H.) was tagged with the loss (0-1) after throwing the first four innings.

 
Up Next:

• The Panthers are right back in action tomorrow (May 3) with a pair of games at the University of Southern Maine. Game one will count in the conference standings, while game two is set to be a non-conference contest.