Beacons tally late to hand Green Terror 4-3 loss in Florida finale

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Mark McCormack went 4-for-4 to lead UMass-Boston to a 4-3 victory over McDaniel at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in non-conference baseball action on Thursday.

Matthew Pace (Baltimore, Md./North County) and Patrick Christopher (Union Bridge, N.J./St. John Vianney) combined for four of the six hits for the Green Terror (4-4), who finished its Florida trip with a 4-3 record.

Ryan Walsh added a hit and three RBIs for the Beacons (6-2), including the game-winning two-run single in the bottom of the seventh.

Trailing 3-2, Ty Buccetti led off the seventh with a single before McCormack reached on an infield single to put runners at first and second.

A sacrifice moved both runners up a bag before Walsh poked a single through the left side to turn the one-run deficit into a one-run lead.

McDaniel had the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the ninth but a strikeout and double play ended the threat, earning the save for Matt Young.

A Walsh sacrifice fly in the third plated Buccetti, staking UMass-Boston to a 1-0 lead.

The Green Terror countered with a pair in the top of the fourth.

Russell Coover (Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Blue Mountain) led off with a single before a one-out error put runners at first and second.

Pace drove home Coover with a single to right before Christopher followed with a RBI base knock of his own to give McDaniel a one-run advantage.

A double from Ray Hart (Cheverly, Md./Suitland) and double play ball stretched the lead to 3-1 an inning later before a Coonor Reinfurt sacrifice fly made it a one-run game in the bottom of the frame.

McDaniel opens the Centennial Conference schedule at Dickinson on Tuesday. Game time is 3:30 p.m.

Score by Inning            1            2            3            4            5            6            7            8            9            -            R            H            E
McDaniel (4-4)            0            0            0            2            1            0            0            0            0            -            3            8            1
UMass-Boston (6-2)            0            0            1            0            1            0            2            0            x            -            4            8            3

Brian Rosato, Joe Drzonsc (8) and Ray Hart; Danny Gomez, Tony Damon (7), Matt Young (9) and Tim Fontaine. WP: Damon (2-0). LP: Rosato (0-2). S: Young (2). SO-BB: Rosato 5-1, Drzonsc 1-0; Gomez 5-3, Damon 1-0, Young 1-0. 2B: Ray Hart (M), Mark McCormack 2 (B).

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