BOSTON, Mass. (March 30, 2016) - The Western New England University baseball team fell to the University of Massachusetts Boston, 10-1, this afternoon in non-conference action at Monan Park.
 
Seniors Doug Milne (Nesconset, N.Y.) and Connor Hayes (Bristol, Conn.) and freshmen Alex Loparco (Riverside, Conn.) and Erik Lacaire (Worcester, Mass.) recorded one hit each for the Golden Bears, while freshman Ben LaCroix (Branford, Conn.) drove in Western New England's lone run.
 
UMass Boston freshman righthander Fernando Burgos (Hyde Park, Mass.) allowed just three hits over eight innings while striking out four batters and walking two.
 
Junior Dave Murphy (Plymouth, Mass.) powered the Beacon offense, hitting two homers and driving in five runs. Classmate Dan Mantoni (Northbridge, Mass.) chipped in with two RBI, and sophomore Lionel Danielson (St. Croix, Virgin Islands) went 3-for-4 with a double.
 
Murphy staked UMass Boston to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a solo home run by Murphy, but the Golden Bears answered in the top of the fourth when LaCroix recorded an RBI groundout, plating senior second baseman Eduardo Colmenares (Caracas, Venezuela).
 
The home team took the lead right back in the bottom half of the inning, however, scoring eight times to open up a 9-1 advantage. Murphy capped the big frame with a grand slam over the left field fence after four other Beacons recorded one RBI in the inning.
 
Western New England freshman righthander Jeremy Morris (Montrose, N.Y.) quieted the UMass Boston offense with two scoreless innings of relief, but the Beacons added one more run in the eighth.
 
The Golden Bears (10-4) will look to bounce back on Saturday when they open Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play with a doubleheader at Gordon College.