BOSTON, Mass. – Senior
Bryan McGrath (Franklin, Mass.) launched his team-leading third home run of the season, but regional power University of Massachusetts Boston held off Plymouth State University, 12-2, in a seven inning Little East Conference (LEC) baseball game at Monan Park on Tuesday night.
UMass Boston, ranked fifth in this week's New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) poll, got a solo shot in the bottom of the first before exploding for 10 runs over the next three innings before McGrath's bomb to left broke up the shutout in the fifth inning.
Plymouth State falls to 9-16 (1-4 LEC), while the Beacons go to 16-5 and stay unbeaten the LEC at 5-0.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 2, UMass Boston 12 (7 Inn.)
- Plymouth State (9-16, 1-4 LEC)
- UMass Boston (16-5, 5-0 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Junior Alex Rives (Gilford, N.H.) led off the game with a single up the middle and advanced to second on an error but was stranded.
- The Beacons got on the board with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning.
- PSU got unlucky in the second. After junior Griffin Crane (Lancaster, N.H.) opened the inning with a single, junior Nick Healey (Campton, N.H.) smoked a ground-rule double to left, forcing Crane to stop at third. An infield popup and strike out ended the threat.
- UMB plated three runs in the bottom of the frame.
- Plymouth State loaded the bases with two away in the third with consecutive walks and Crane's single, but again the Beacons escaped unscathed.
- The home team used the momentum to put another four runs on the board.
- Healey and freshman Danny Quinn (Holliston, Mass.) both had hits in the fourth, but a strikeout and liner ended the frame and again UMass Boston added on with three runs in the bottom half.
- Sophomore Luke Sokolski (Waterford, Conn.) walked to open the fifth and McGrath followed with his third blast of the season over the wall in left field to cut the deficit to 11-2.
- UMass Boston ended the game with a single run in the seventh to account for the final score.
By the Numbers:
- Healey (single, double) and Crane (single, single) each had two hits for the Panthers.
- McGrath homered and walked, while Sokolski worked a pair of free passes.
- Senior Noah Wachter (Concord, N.H.) was the pitcher of record, while freshman Tyler Wright (Concord, N.H.) and freshman Andrew Baxter (Thornton, N.H.) also tossed innings for the Panthers.
- UMass Boston has won each of the last four meetings between the two teams.
Up Next:
- The Panthers are home for a non-conference clash with Colby-Sawyer College on Thursday (Apr. 14). First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
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