FALCONS UPEND BEACONS

Fitchburg, Mass. - Fitchburg State College overcame a two-run deficit to defeat UMass-Boston, 8-6, Friday afternoon in non-conference baseball action in Fitchburg.

The Falcons improved to 11-22 overall behind a 4-for-4 effort from Matt Slattery while the Beacons fell to 14-23 overall.

UMB scored in each of the first three innings to take a 4-0 advantage. In the first, Timothy Fontaine hit a fielder's choice to push home Tom Michael, who doubled leading off the game, and in the second Nick Conway had an RBI single and scored on a throwing error.

Fitchburg responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning when Curt Heher scored on a throwing error after hitting a leadoff single and Aaron Granahan delivered a two-out RBI double. Casey Rice tacked on another run in the third with an RBI single.

The Falcons got back to within a run at 4-3 in the sixth on John Phelan's RBI double to left field. The lead would be short-lived as the visitors plated a pair of runs in the seventh on back-to-back doubles by Michael and Ryan Walsh where Michael scored and Eric Salvador capped the inning with an RBI single for a 5-3 UMass-Boston lead.

Fitchburg quickly responded in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-5 lead as Slattery began the scoring when he singled home Heher, who accepted a leadoff walk. A.J. Balderelli tripled home Slattery and Granahan had an RBI single, scoring Balderelli.

FSC capped the scoring with two more runs in the eighth on a Balderelli two-run, two-out single.

Jake Barbarotta worked the first five innings for Fitchburg, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits and four walks. Brian Lawlor closed the game for the victory on the hill, working the final 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball with four strikeouts and one walk.

UMB's Rich Balgowan went 4.1 innings in the start. He gave up two runs (0 earned) on four hits with five walks and one strikeout. Mike Dorval came on in relief in the eighth inning and did not allow a run while giving up a pair of hits.

Slattery (4-for-4, RBI, 3 runs scored) and Granahan, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI, led the hosts offensively. Balderelli was 2-for-5 with three RBI in the victory.

The Beacons got good production from Michael (2-for-4, 2 runs scored) while Rice was the only other player in the lineup to have more than one hit, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.