Box Score KEENE, N.H. – The fifth-seeded Beacons made the most of their second crack at UMass Dartmouth after Wednesday's opening round loss, pulling past the Corsairs with a four-run sixth inning and close the door with a 5-1 victory. With the loss, No. 2 seed UMass Dartmouth closes both the Little East Conference Tournament and their season.
Senior Shannon Orton (Swansea, Mass.) threw a final complete game for her career, striking out three and surrendering three earned runs on eight hits. At the plate, junior Gracie Trudeau (Dartmouth, Mass.) went 3-for-4, scoring the Corsairs' lone run, driven in by Orton.
UMass Boston freshman Annie Thomas (Lunenberg, Mass.) picked up the win in the circle, striking out eight Corsairs while allowing just one earned run on eight hits. The Beacons received RBI hits from three separate players, including two off the bat of freshman Alyssa Tulley (Lowell, Mass.).
Orton retired the first six UMass Boston batters, and both teams were able to strike in the third frame. Trudeau led off the inning with a single to center, and freshman Jill Miller (Freetown, Mass.) put down a single in the next at-bat. After Marissa Spinuzzi (Fair Lawn, N.J.) walked to load the bags, Orton singled through the left side to plate UMass Dartmouth's only run.
The Beacons responded right back with two hits in their turn at the dish. With two outs and two runners on, Kristina Bove (Medford, Mass.) drove a single into right field, loading the bases before a Taylor Pawlina (Woonsocket, R.I.) walk tied up the score.
Senior Rachel Carey (Holbrook, Mass.) was the lone Corsair to record hits in the next two innings, but UMass Boston put up a rally in the sixth. Lauren Mitsiaris (Taunton, Mass.) knocked in the Beacon's first RBI, followed two batters later by Tulley, whose deep single plated two more runs. The Beacons would then add one more run on a fielding error before the end of the inning.
The first two Corsair batters reached base in the seventh, but with runners on the corners, Thomas was able to secure a game-winning swinging strikeout and stay alive on the tournament.
Orton closes her career in the circle with her most successful stint, striking out a career-high 117 this season and surpassing the 300 career strikeout mark earlier this season. In 153 innings on the season, she gathered a record of 15-8 and an ERA of just 1.78. She and fellow seniors Carey and Amanda McHugh (North Kingstown, R.I.) captained the most successful Corsair team in program history this year, closing with a 27-15 overall record and 9-5 conference slate.
