Box Score Box Score

MANSFIELD, Conn. - Senior designated hitter Jeff Outzen (San Mateo, CA) came through with a clutch two-run single and freshman Daniel Heefner (Tracy, CA) pitched four innings of scoreless relief to lead UMass Boston to a 6-4 victory over Western New England College Thursday night (May 20) in a winner's bracket game of the NCAA Division III New England Regional Baseball Championship.

The seventh-seeded Beacons (30-15) will meet top-seeded Tufts (33-5) at approximately 4:30 p.m. Friday (May 21).

The Golden Bears (34-11) will play eighth-seeded St. Joseph's, Maine (33-12) in an elimination contest at approximately 1:15 p.m. Friday.

WNEC scored all of its runs in the third inning when senior shortstop Justin Walz (Groton, CT) walked with the bases loaded and senior first baseman Joe Griglun (Southington, CT) delivered a two-run single. Junior third baseman Tony Trubia (Tolland, CT) followed with a RBI single.

UMass Boston took advantage of a pair of errors to score two unearned runs in the bottom of the third.

Freshman Kevin Jefferis (Cheshire, CT) retired seven of the next eight batters in the fourth and fifth innings, then pitched out of a bases loaded jam with a key strikeout in the sixth. He got the first two outs in the seventh before the Beacons scored three times in the seventh. Outzen drilled a single up the middle to knock in the tying and go-ahead runs.

Jefferis gave up eight hits and three earned runs while striking out five and walking six in suffering his first loss in eight decisions.

Heefner allowed only one hit with a walk and two strikeouts in raising his record to 4-1.

Trubia finished with two hits while junior designated hitter Ryan Dudzinski (Bristol, CT) had a double and run. Senior center fielder Steve Kearney (Glastonbury, CT) was hit by a pitch for the 22nd time this season.

UMB sophomore center fielder Mark McCormack (Shelton, CT) had two hits, two RBI, and a run in extending his hitting streak to 18 games. Junior second baseman Ryan Walsh (Newton, MA) and junior first baseman Connor Reinfurt (Manchester, NH) also collected two hits.

This was the first meeting between the teams in baseball.