HARWICH, Mass. – Junior Eddie Riley (Quincy, Mass.) belted the game-winning RBI triple to help lift top-seeded UMass Boston in a 2-1, 10-inning victory over fifth-seeded Ramapo in the seventh game of the NCAA Division III New England Baseball Regional at Whitehouse Field.

The Beacons (36-8) move ahead in the tournament and will play the winner of tonight's matchup between second-seeded Oswego State and third-seeded Keystone. The Roadrunners (33-14) take on Mitchell at Mass Maritime tomorrowwith a 1 o'clock start time tentatively scheduled.

With the score knotted 1-1 in the tenth, junior Charlie Huegi (Sandy Hook, Conn.) drew a one-out walk before Riley lined a three-bagger over the head of the right fielder to push across the go-ahead run.

Ramapo initially staked the early 1-0 margin by touching up sophomore J.T. Morin (Wilton, Conn.) for a run in the bottom of the second. Junior Liam Duffy (Cranford, N.J.) rapped out a run producing single to center field which scored senior Connor Walsh (Waldwick, N.J.).

UMass Boston responded in the top of the fifth on an RBI ground-out by senior Sal Frosceno (Derby, Conn.), which scored junior Nick Herzog (Riverhead, N.Y.). Herzog started off the frame with a free pass before he moved to third on a single to set-up Frosceno's key play.

After yielding the first run of the contest in the second, Morin settled down and set down 15 of his next 17 batters. Despite base-knocks by the Roadrunners in the third and sixth innings, Morin stranded both runners as neither of them got past second base.

In the bottom of the eighth, Morin passed off the torch to senior Bryan Kaufman (Farmingdale, N.Y.), who hurled three perfect innings to earn the victory. Morin finished permitting one earned run to go with four hits, six strikeouts and two walks in seven stanzas of work. Kaufman improved his record to 2-0 in the triumph.

Ramapo junior Cory Heitler (Fair Lawn, N.J.) started the game by tossing three hitless frames until the Beacons squeaked out consecutive base-hits in the top of the fourth. With the game knotted up in the fifth, Heitler matched the effort of Morin by pitching four scoreless innings as he ended scoring threats by UMass Boston in the sixth and seventh.

Heitler rung up ten on strikes over nine innings in the no-decision. Heitler gave up one earned run as he scattered five hits and issued three free passes. Junior Kevin Foulds (Sparta, N.J.) was saddled with the setback for giving-up the go-ahead run in the tenth. Foulds dropped to 2-3 on the campaign.

UMass Boston senior Chris Fowler (Barnstable, Mass.) was the lone multi-hitter in either line-up with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate.

The Beacons edged the Roadrunners, 6-4, on hits while both teams stuck out 19 times in 74 at-bats.  

Steven M. Miller, Jr.