Baseball Tallies Five in the 6th to Defeat UMass Boston 8-4
Framingham, Mass. – Junior Anthony Iafolla (Medfield, Mass.) and sophomore Mark Mainini (Hull, Mass.) drove in three runs apiece as the Framingham State University baseball team erased a two run deficit and took home an 8-4 victory over the University of Massachusetts Boston in non-conference action this afternoon at Bowditch Field.
With the win, the Rams improve to 8-13 on the season, while the Beacons are now 9-9.
The Beacons jumped out to the early lead with two runs in their first at bat. Senior Matt Consiglio (Southbury, Conn.) drove in a run on an RBI single to center and junior Jamill Moquette (Boston, Mass.) scored on a throwing error by the Rams on the throw down as he stole third.
The Rams cut the UMass Boston lead in half with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Senior Justin Forman (Watertown, Mass.) reached on a Beacon error and moved to second on UMass Boston's second failed pickoff attempt of the game. Forman moved to third on a fly out and came around to score the Rams first run of the game when Iafolla laced a single up the middle.
The Beacons countered with a run in the top of the sixth to push the advantage back to two. Moquette singled to lead off the inning and stole second. Freshman Gerard Florentino (West Roxbury, Mass.) followed with a double to right center driving in Moquette.
The Rams offense batted around and erupted for five runs in the bottom of the frame to take their first lead of the game and secure the victory. Iafolla drove in a pair on his second run scoring single of the game. Junior Matt Roberge (Lowell, Mass.) plated one on an RBI single and Mainini drove in a pair on his base hit to left.
UMass Boston added a run in the eighth when freshman Shane O'Leary (Boston, Mass.) walked with the bases loaded to cut the Rams lead to 6-4, but the Rams tacked on two more in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles from Mainini and classmate Cameron Couillard (North Andover, Mass.) to reach the final margin.
Freshman Patrick Holden (Stoneham, Mass.) recorded the win on the hill for the Rams improving his season record to 2-0. Holden went six and 2/3 innings surrendering three runs, two earned, on five hits while striking out seven.
Freshman Kurtis White (Nahant, Mass.) was tagged with the loss for the Beacons as he went five and 1/3 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits with a strikeout.
Mainini went 3-for-3 in the game with a run scored and three RBI, while Iafolla went 3-for-4 with a run scored and his three RBI. Couillard also picked up a pair of hits in the game, while Forman and Roberge each scored twice.
Florentino led the Beacons at the plate going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, while Moquette picked up a hit and scored twice.
The Rams return to action on Wednesday night with a non-conference game against Fisher College at Fraser Field in Lynn, while the Beacons are back in action tomorrow against another MASCAC school as they travel to Bridgewater State at 3:30 p.m.